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

Foreign ministers of the Baltic States and Germany will hold a regular meeting in Riga today; LETA was informed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs press center. German Foreign Minister Joscha Fischer, Estonian Foreign Minister Kristiina Ojulande, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis, as well as Latvian Foreign Minister Indulis Berzins will participate at the meeting. The ministers plan to discuss issues pertaining to security, including NATO expansion, integration into the European Union, the future of Europe, as well as regional co-operation and relations with the neighboring states.

Foreign ministers of the Baltic States and Germany will hold a regular meeting in Riga today; LETA was informed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs press center. German Foreign Minister Joscha Fischer, Estonian Foreign Minister Kristiina Ojulande, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Antanas Valionis, as well as Latvian Foreign Minister Indulis Berzins will participate at the meeting. The ministers plan to discuss issues pertaining to security, including NATO expansion, integration into the European Union, the future of Europe, as well as regional co-operation and relations with the neighboring states. LETA

President Vaira Vike-Freiberga on Friday met with the U.S. President George W. Bush during the reception for heads of foreign states before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, LETA was informed by president's press secretary Aiva Rozenberga. During the meeting, Bush confirmed the unchanging attitude of the U.S. regarding the co-operation between the two states and NATO expansion, noting that all the principles that were discussed during the previous meeting with Vike-Freiberga in April of last year are still in force. The U.S. support Latvia's integration in united and free Europe, and the rights of the candidate states to join NATO on the basis of each state's individual achievements. Bush stressed that no country outside NATO has veto rights in the expansion issue.

President Vaira Vike-Freiberga on Friday met with the U.S. President George W. Bush during the reception for heads of foreign states before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, LETA was informed by president's press secretary Aiva Rozenberga. During the meeting, Bush confirmed the unchanging attitude of the U.S. regarding the co-operation between the two states and NATO expansion, noting that all the principles that were discussed during the previous meeting with Vike-Freiberga in April of last year are still in force. The U.S. support Latvia's integration in united and free Europe, and the rights of the candidate states to join NATO on the basis of each state's individual achievements. Bush stressed that no country outside NATO has veto rights in the expansion issue. LETA, Telegraf, Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Russian President Vladimir Putin stands for fundamentally changing relations between Russia and NATO, he said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. "Today we do not think that NATO is a hostile organization to us, to Russia. But in order to become a universal international security organization, NATO should change its quality of relations with Russia, and we are ready for that," he said Putin said Russia is not planning full-scale membership in the North Atlantic alliance. "But there is a whole group of questions on which we could work together very effectively with NATO countries, including the United States," he said. At the moment Putin regards counter-productive NATO enlargement to the east, namely through the admission of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. In his opinion, in these conditions Russians will feel less secure "because the infrastructure of the military alliance is approaching our borders." BNS

Latvian Foreign Minister Indulis Berzins and Estonian Foreign Minister Kristiina Ojuland met Monday in Riga and discussed bilateral co-operation, EU integration and NATO enlargement, and relations with other countries, reported the Latvian Foreign Ministry. Berzins and Ojuland also talked about relations with Russia and said they were ready for a pragmatic and constructive co-operation with the big eastern neighbor. As to integration into the EU, Latvian and Estonian ministers agreed the Baltic States should work on a common position concerning the European Commission proposals for the agriculture chapter.

BNS Latvia's SKDS sociological research center, the government's official pollster last year, has also posted the country's ex-central banker's recently founded party New Time at the top of the polls for January, but figures for some of the following parties differ form this year's official pollster Latvijas Fakti. SKDS results show that New Time (NT), has 15.7 percent support from the country's potential voters, followed by Latvian Way (LW) with 10.4 percent and the People's Party (PP) with 9.9 percent and left-wing For Human Rights in a United Latvia (FHRUL) with 9.4 percent, followed by the Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party (LSDWP) with 9.1 percent in January. These results slightly differ from figures published for January by this year's official government pollster, Latvijas Fakti, which are at 17.3 percent for New Time (compared to 15.7 percent for SKDS), while this year's official government pollster also places LW in second place in terms of popularity in January, while third place was give to FHRUL rather than PP as stated by SKDS.

Latvia's SKDS sociological research center, the government's official pollster last year, has also posted the country's ex-central banker's recently founded party New Time at the top of the polls for January, but figures for some of the following parties differ form this year's official pollster Latvijas Fakti. SKDS results show that New Time (NT), has 15.7 percent support from the country's potential voters, followed by Latvian Way (LW) with 10.4 percent and the People's Party (PP) with 9.9 percent and left-wing For Human Rights in a United Latvia (FHRUL) with 9.4 percent, followed by the Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party (LSDWP) with 9.1 percent in January. These results slightly differ from figures published for January by this year's official government pollster, Latvijas Fakti, which are at 17.3 percent for New Time (compared to 15.7 percent for SKDS), while this year's official government pollster also places LW in second place in terms of popularity in January, while third place was give to FHRUL rather than PP as stated by SKDS. BNS, Neatkariga

Russian-speaking newspaper

Russian-speaking newspaper Chas interviewed the Deputy Chief Editor of Latvian newspaper Neatkariga S.Tocs, whose opinion differs from the ruling one among Latvian speaking population. S.Tocs considers that Russian-speaking schools should not be closed, Russians in Latvia have to be more self-assured and not to allow politicians like J.Dobelis to limit their rights, at the next election Russian-speaking citizens mostly will vote for For Human Rights in United Latvia because they have nobody else to vote for and that Russians have to explain their demands to Latvians.