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 Report

Press Report

The newspaper

The newspaper Chas has carried out Internet survey asking what status the Russian language should have in Latvia. Almost a half of the respondents (333) say that Russian should have the status of the official language. In this respect Chas also interviews Latvian Association for Supporting Schools with the Russian Language of Tuition (LASSRLT) chairperson I.Pimenovs about his proposed bilingual education model which main principle is to study Latvian mainly at the Latvian language classes at non-Latvian schools. When asked why the Saeima does not support his ideas, I.Pimenovs explains that with upcoming 8th Saeima election.

Jelgava is the second city in Latvia, which follows Ventspils model on the involvement of non-citizens in municipal affairs by establishing the Advisory Council in Non-citizen Affairs. The committee was established last week and this week it will take a decision on the best mechanism. In September the Commission will launch its operations. The Commission is headed by the City Council mayor A.Ravinsh and it will have 9 members representing state and municipal institutions and 4-5 representatives of national cultural associations. Jelgava City Council will use Ventspils’ model as a base, however, will search for their own solutions. In the decree on the establishment of the Council it is said that the Council is founded on the basis of Society Integration Programme and its purpose is to co-ordinate activities of state, municipal institutions and NGOs, as well as involve non-citizens in municipal affairs. The first activity of the Council will be the seminar which will take place in September and among the participants will be the representatives of the Naturalisation Board, local authorities, National Programme of Learning State Language, as well as N.Muizhnieks and E.Vebers have agreed to take part at the seminar.

Jelgava is the second city in Latvia, which follows Ventspils model on the involvement of non-citizens in municipal affairs by establishing the Advisory Council in Non-citizen Affairs. The committee was established last week and this week it will take a decision on the best mechanism. In September the Commission will launch its operations. The Commission is headed by the City Council mayor A.Ravinsh and it will have 9 members representing state and municipal institutions and 4-5 representatives of national cultural associations. Jelgava City Council will use Ventspils model as a base, however, will search for their own solutions. In the decree on the establishment of the Council it is said that the Council is founded on the basis of Society Integration Programme and its purpose is to co-ordinate activities of state, municipal institutions and NGOs, as well as involve non-citizens in municipal affairs. The first activity of the Council will be the seminar which will take place in September and among the participants will be the representatives of the Naturalisation Board, local authorities, National Programme of Learning State Language, as well as N.Muizhnieks and E.Vebers have agreed to take part at the seminar. Chas

Valmiera Secondary School No 1 – the only Russian school in the town – is under the threat of closing. School parents committee turned to the Saeima Standing Committee on Education and Culture chairperson Dz.Abikis with the request to find a possibility to keep the school. Dz.Abikis said in his response “..taking into account the composition of nationalities in Valmiera, it is very likely that in the very close future in this area will be only Latvian schools. And it will not result in discrimination toward your children – it will be them an advantage when they continue their education. Your language and culture you can preserve in families, associations of culture, Sunday schools”.

Valmiera Secondary School No 1 – the only Russian school in the town – is under the threat of closing. School parents committee turned to the Saeima Standing Committee on Education and Culture chairperson Dz.Abikis with the request to find a possibility to keep the school. Dz.Abikis said in his response ..taking into account the composition of nationalities in Valmiera, it is very likely that in the very close future in this area will be only Latvian schools. And it will not result in discrimination toward your children – it will be them an advantage when they continue their education. Your language and culture you can preserve in families, associations of culture, Sunday schools. Respublika

Draft regulations on “Spelling Code of Proper Names” has been submitted to the Government. The draft rather specifically covers the rules for conjugation and spelling of foreign names in the Latvian language.

Draft regulations on Spelling Code of Proper Names has been submitted to the Government. The draft rather specifically covers the rules for conjugation and spelling of foreign names in the Latvian language. Respublika

Former Russian ambassador to Latvia believes admission of the Baltic states to NATO is unacceptable for Russia. Alexander Udaltsev said in an interview to Russian language Bizness & Baltija newspaper: "Our position concerning inclusion of the Baltic states in NATO is unchanged, we regard such a development as unacceptable for Russia". He said "as I understand, in Latvia itself the attitude towards accession to NATO is not unanimous". "If a large part of the population does not support such a step, then, probably, there are grounds to think about it," said Udaltsev who currently is head of the second European department at the Russian Foreign Ministry. He believes the relations between Latvia and Russia should be solved as a complex and as the most important issues are regarded rights of Russian speakers in Latvia, education in Russian language and situation of war veterans. "[Russian] president [Vladimir Putin] in the meeting [with Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga] set out our priorities clearly enough -- rights of Latvia's Russian speakers, education in Russian language and the situation of war veterans," he said. "By outlining these themes and naming them clearly enough we were expecting that further on will follow work in these directions -- the problems will be solved and the questions will be closed. For us it always was and will remain the main precondition to develop our relations in all directions. But, unfortunately, these themes remain open," said Udaltsev. "Yes, we have noticed that naturalisation fee has been reduced, that school examination of Latvian language in certain cases is taken into account in citizenship acquiring. Of course, we hail these decisions and voiced a hope in a Foreign Ministry statement that these are not separate facts but a trend," he said. But he added, "nevertheless, it can not be forgotten that these questions were overripe, they were to be solved already a long time ago". Moreover, he underscored, "we understand that these decisions will not solve problems of mass of non-citizens". The Baltic States hope to get the invitation to join NATO in the alliance summit in Prague in 2002.

Former Russian ambassador to Latvia believes admission of the Baltic states to NATO is unacceptable for Russia. Alexander Udaltsev said in an interview to Russian language Bizness & Baltija newspaper: "Our position concerning inclusion of the Baltic states in NATO is unchanged, we regard such a development as unacceptable for Russia". He said "as I understand, in Latvia itself the attitude towards accession to NATO is not unanimous". "If a large part of the population does not support such a step, then, probably, there are grounds to think about it," said Udaltsev who currently is head of the second European department at the Russian Foreign Ministry. He believes the relations between Latvia and Russia should be solved as a complex and as the most important issues are regarded rights of Russian speakers in Latvia, education in Russian language and situation of war veterans. "[Russian] president [Vladimir Putin] in the meeting [with Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga] set out our priorities clearly enough -- rights of Latvia's Russian speakers, education in Russian language and the situation of war veterans," he said. "By outlining these themes and naming them clearly enough we were expecting that further on will follow work in these directions -- the problems will be solved and the questions will be closed. For us it always was and will remain the main precondition to develop our relations in all directions. But, unfortunately, these themes remain open," said Udaltsev. "Yes, we have noticed that naturalisation fee has been reduced, that school examination of Latvian language in certain cases is taken into account in citizenship acquiring. Of course, we hail these decisions and voiced a hope in a Foreign Ministry statement that these are not separate facts but a trend," he said. But he added, "nevertheless, it can not be forgotten that these questions were overripe, they were to be solved already a long time ago". Moreover, he underscored, "we understand that these decisions will not solve problems of mass of non-citizens". The Baltic States hope to get the invitation to join NATO in the alliance summit in Prague in 2002. BNS