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.

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• 67% of citizens of Latvia support Latvias accession to the EU
• Nils Muiznieks, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, about the negative attitude of minorities towards Latvias accession to the EU
• Muiznieks on key integration issues in 2004
• Diena reports on experts opinions about relationships between Latvia and Russia after Latvias accession to the EU.
• The first deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia: education reform discriminates against Russian-speakers
• Latvian-Russian relations after Latvias accession to the EU
• Foreign media about the referendum
• Vesti Segodnya about an incident during the unapproved walk against the education reform
• An interview with Rabbi Nathan Barkan

According to the provisional results of the referendum, 66,96 % of citizens of Latvia supported Latvia’s accession to the EU.

According to the provisional results of the referendum, 66,96 % of citizens of Latvia supported Latvias accession to the EU. Diena assumes that the large part of Euro-skeptics are representatives of minorities, because the largest number of the EU opponents are in Riga and Latgale. Diena, Rigas Balss, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Vechernaya Riga, Chas, Telegraf

Nils Muiznieks, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, believes that the negative attitude of minorities towards Latvia’s membership in the EU could be explained with different information spaces, developed by Latvian and Russian language media, and with the aspirations of several activists to correlate the referendum and the education reform.

Nils Muiznieks, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, believes that the negative attitude of minorities towards Latvias membership in the EU could be explained with different information spaces, developed by Latvian and Russian language media, and with the aspirations of several activists to correlate the referendum and the education reform. Diena

Nils Muiznieks, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration considers clarification of the status of non-citizens, ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, as well as possible granting to non-citizens the right to vote at municipal elections as the main issues in the field of integration in 2004.

Nils Muiznieks, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration considers clarification of the status of non-citizens, ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, as well as possible granting to non-citizens the right to vote at municipal elections as the main issues in the field of integration in 2004. Vechernaya Riga

Diena reports on experts point of view about relationships of Latvia and Russia after Latvias accession to the EU. Sandra Kalniete, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, stresses that Russia would have less opportunities to interfere in Latvias internal affairs in the field of minority rights. Other experts believe, that after Latvias membership in the EU and NATO the pressure of Russia in Latvia would continue because Russia is a more important partner than Latvia for several EU countries. Diena

Eleonora Mitrofanova, the first deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, criticized the education reform in Latvia in the World Congress of Russian Language Press, stating that this reform discriminates against Russian-speakers. She states that Russia will continue the discussion with the Council of Europe about minority rights in Latvia.

Eleonora Mitrofanova, the first deputy minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia, criticized the education reform in Latvia in the World Congress of Russian Language Press, stating that this reform discriminates against Russian-speakers. She states that Russia will continue the discussion with the Council of Europe about minority rights in Latvia. Chas

Telegraf prints an article about the economic and political relations between Latvia and Russia after Latvias accession to the EU.

Foreign media showed Latvia as having the largest group of Euro-sceptics, but Russian-language media reportedly points to the fact that non-citizens did not get the opportunity to express their opinion on Latvia’s membership in the EU.

Foreign media showed Latvia as having the largest group of Euro-sceptics, but Russian-language media reportedly points to the fact that non-citizens did not get the opportunity to express their opinion on Latvias membership in the EU. Rigas Balss

Vesti Segodnya writes about an incident during the unapproved walk against the education reform, when police arrested one of the participants.

Diena features an interview with Rabbi Nathan Barkan.