Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

Press Review

The ruling party deputies don’t have a unified opinion on the idea to reorganise the Constitutional Court and create a department at the Supreme Court for considering constitutional disputes. TB/LNNK is against reorganisation. Justice Minister Valdis Birkavs after meeting the acting chairman of the Constitutional Court Aivars Endzins could not tell the press which model he supported and why. After Birkavs, the limited scope of authority of the Court is the reason for its inefficiency. Both officials support a faster adoption of the amendments to the law On Constitutional Court and the Constitutional Proceedings Law. The lawyer Andris Grutups supports the Constitutional Court to be a part of the court system and does not speak about its liquidation.

The ruling party deputies dont have a unified opinion on the idea to reorganise the Constitutional Court and create a department at the Supreme Court for considering constitutional disputes. TB/LNNK is against reorganisation. Justice Minister Valdis Birkavs after meeting the acting chairman of the Constitutional Court Aivars Endzins could not tell the press which model he supported and why. After Birkavs, the limited scope of authority of the Court is the reason for its inefficiency. Both officials support a faster adoption of the amendments to the law On Constitutional Court and the Constitutional Proceedings Law. The lawyer Andris Grutups supports the Constitutional Court to be a part of the court system and does not speak about its liquidation. Diena, Neatkariga, BB

A “round-table” discussion on the relations between Latvia, Russia and Belarus is scheduled to take place in Jurmala on August 17. The discussion is organised by the director of the Institute of Eastern Europe, the former Saeima speaker Ilga Kreituse. The list of participants includes the head of the Russian Council for Foreign and Defence Policy Sergey Karaganov, deputy director of the Karnegy Centre in Moscow Dmitry Trenin and president of the Bank of Foreign Relations Georgy Yegorov from Belarus. Latvia will be represented by Ainars Dimants, president of the European Movement in Latvia, Ilga Kreituse, other historians, politicians, politology specialists.

A round-table discussion on the relations between Latvia, Russia and Belarus is scheduled to take place in Jurmala on August 17. The discussion is organised by the director of the Institute of Eastern Europe, the former Saeima speaker Ilga Kreituse. The list of participants includes the head of the Russian Council for Foreign and Defence Policy Sergey Karaganov, deputy director of the Karnegy Centre in Moscow Dmitry Trenin and president of the Bank of Foreign Relations Georgy Yegorov from Belarus. Latvia will be represented by Ainars Dimants, president of the European Movement in Latvia, Ilga Kreituse, other historians, politicians, politology specialists. BB, Chas