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.

LATVIAN MEDIA REVIEW

LATVIAN MEDIA REVIEW

Following a meeting yesterday in the Presidential Palace in Riga, Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus and Estonian President Arnold Ruutel confirmed that relations between all three Baltic countries were sound, and they expressed their readiness to continue and develop co-operation further.

Following a meeting yesterday in the Presidential Palace in Riga, Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus and Estonian President Arnold Ruutel confirmed that relations between all three Baltic countries were sound, and they expressed their readiness to continue and develop co-operation further. LETA, Diena, Neatkariga

Presidents of three Baltic States at the meeting in Riga on Tuesday said relations with Russia should be stable, friendly and pragmatic. At a news conference after the meeting Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga said that Latvia "has repeatedly declared its wish to maintain good, friendly and constructive relations with Russia" and will keep working to improve these relations in future. Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus agreed with his Latvian counterpart, saying that relationship between neighbouring countries should be "full of respect." Estonian President Arnold Ruutel said Estonian-Russian relations had been "quite complicated" in past but were bound to improve.

Presidents of three Baltic States at the meeting in Riga on Tuesday said relations with Russia should be stable, friendly and pragmatic. At a news conference after the meeting Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga said that Latvia "has repeatedly declared its wish to maintain good, friendly and constructive relations with Russia" and will keep working to improve these relations in future. Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus agreed with his Latvian counterpart, saying that relationship between neighbouring countries should be "full of respect." Estonian President Arnold Ruutel said Estonian-Russian relations had been "quite complicated" in past but were bound to improve. BNS, Diena, Neatkariga, Latvijas Vestnesis, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya

Following yesterday's meeting of the three Baltic presidents in the Presidential Palace in Riga, Estonian President Arnold Ruutel expressed his conviction that his upcoming visit to Russia would boost the development of Estonian and other Baltic states' relations with Russia.

Following yesterday's meeting of the three Baltic presidents in the Presidential Palace in Riga, Estonian President Arnold Ruutel expressed his conviction that his upcoming visit to Russia would boost the development of Estonian and other Baltic states' relations with Russia. LETA

Dr.hist. Ilmars Mezs analyses the two dominating opinions how to ensure survival of the Latvian language in the future. The first one is to demand every deputy to have a language proficiency certificate but the second is to give up this piece of paper, accordingly strengthening the positions of language use in legislation. The possible outcome of the first opinion was clearly demonstrated by the situation in Daugavpils and Riga City Councils. The second option also allows a situation that there are elected deputies with inadequate state language knowledge, but in reality the Latvian language will be the only working language, stipulated by law, both in the Parliament and local governments. More important is to achieve that all deputies (and not only them) use the language in their work and not to struggle that all of them have language certificates.

Dr.hist. Ilmars Mezs analyses the two dominating opinions how to ensure survival of the Latvian language in the future. The first one is to demand every deputy to have a language proficiency certificate but the second is to give up this piece of paper, accordingly strengthening the positions of language use in legislation. The possible outcome of the first opinion was clearly demonstrated by the situation in Daugavpils and Riga City Councils. The second option also allows a situation that there are elected deputies with inadequate state language knowledge, but in reality the Latvian language will be the only working language, stipulated by law, both in the Parliament and local governments. More important is to achieve that all deputies (and not only them) use the language in their work and not to struggle that all of them have language certificates. Diena

Newspaper

Newspaper Vesti Segodnya writes about the discussion on integration issues going on in the Internet portal Politika.lv. This time it is the article of Ass.Prof. J.Rozenvalds. Mr.Rozenvalds states that Latvia now has reached the breaking point in the process of integration when there are possible two likely developments of interethnic relations –deepening of the process or tensioning of these relations. The concept of integration adopted two years ago in principle was not a bad one – but the current situation did not confirmed one of its basic assumptions, i.e. certainty that mastering of the language is the decisive factor of integration. And J.Rozenvalds comes to a conclusion that the current difficulties of integration process have been programmed already at the very beginning, and the responsible for that are the decisions takers, who imagined that only Latvian politicians know what Russians in Latvian should want.

At the end of last year was published the report of Euro Commission where the situation in Latvia was described on 132 pages. And only 5 of them were about the situation of national minorities here. B.Kolchanov, commenting this, states that EU is not a human rights organisation and mostly concentrates on economic issues. Therefore there are a few recommendations concerning national minorities in these reports and most disputable questions remain without an answer. Thus in this report was stated that in March of 2001 Latvian parliament once more rejected to ratify the Framework Convention. The report gives the latest naturalisation figures and praises the steps taken to speed up the process of naturalisation. The conclusion is that Latvia is left alone to solve these problems.

At the end of last year was published the report of Euro Commission where the situation in Latvia was described on 132 pages. And only 5 of them were about the situation of national minorities here. B.Kolchanov, commenting this, states that EU is not a human rights organisation and mostly concentrates on economic issues. Therefore there are a few recommendations concerning national minorities in these reports and most disputable questions remain without an answer. Thus in this report was stated that in March of 2001 Latvian parliament once more rejected to ratify the Framework Convention. The report gives the latest naturalisation figures and praises the steps taken to speed up the process of naturalisation. The conclusion is that Latvia is left alone to solve these problems. Telegraf