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.

• The President of Latvia on the naturalization process
• The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden considers Russias accusations to Latvia unjustified
• The Saeima Sub-Committee for Societal Integration will be established
• Martjan Bekasov is planning to submit a complaint to the Constitutional Court
• Teachers and parents of Cesis school students held a press conference in Riga
• The deputy chairman of the Peoples Harmony Party Janis Urbanovitch about the draft party programme
• Vesti Segodnya on the prospects of amending the Citizenship Law
• Political scientist Janis Ikstens discusses the perspectives of Latvian-Russian relations

In the interview to

In the interview to Lauku Avize, the President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga has discussed the slow naturalization process and the large number of non-citizens. The President believes that naturalization procedures requirements are justified. The President has also commented the judgment of the European Court for Human Rights in Slivenko case.

During her visit to Riga, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Laila Freivalde has expressed her disagreement with Russia’s attempt of tying together the application of the EU-Russia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement to Latvia with the situation of Russian-speakers in the country. The Minister considers the recent Russia’s statements unjustified and believes that Russia has no impact on the EU enlargement process and the EU decisions. She hopes that Latvian-Russian relationships will improve after Latvia’s accession to the EU.

During her visit to Riga, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sweden Laila Freivalde has expressed her disagreement with Russias attempt of tying together the application of the EU-Russia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement to Latvia with the situation of Russian-speakers in the country. The Minister considers the recent Russias statements unjustified and believes that Russia has no impact on the EU enlargement process and the EU decisions. She hopes that Latvian-Russian relationships will improve after Latvias accession to the EU. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, lauku Avize, Telegraf

The Saeima Sub-Committee for Societal Integration will be established in order to examine the possibility of ratifying the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities.

The Saeima Sub-Committee for Societal Integration will be established in order to examine the possibility of ratifying the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. Neatkariga Rita Avize

A MP for the Latvian Socialist Party Martjan Bekasov is planning to submit a complaint to the Constitutional Court about the recent Saeima’s decision to recall him from the status of an observer to the European Parliament.

A MP for the Latvian Socialist Party Martjan Bekasov is planning to submit a complaint to the Constitutional Court about the recent Saeimas decision to recall him from the status of an observer to the European Parliament. Chas

Yesterday a group of students’ parents and teachers of a Cesis Russian language school has held a press conference in Riga. The representatives of the School Rescue Committee have informed the local and foreign media about their demand of opening a first grade in the only Russian language school in Cesis in spite of the insufficient number of students. From 1998 to 2002, 45 schools have been closed, including 3 Latvian language schools, 12 two-stream schools and 20 Russian language schools. Newspapers print the proposal of the Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools on establishing a lower ‘sufficient number’ of students necessary to open a class in schools implementing minority education programs. A letter from the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Russia’s State Council  Dmitry Rogozin, responding to the situation with Cesis school, says that the true objective of Latvian officials is to eliminate Russian schools.

Yesterday a group of students parents and teachers of a Cesis Russian language school has held a press conference in Riga. The representatives of the School Rescue Committee have informed the local and foreign media about their demand of opening a first grade in the only Russian language school in Cesis in spite of the insufficient number of students. From 1998 to 2002, 45 schools have been closed, including 3 Latvian language schools, 12 two-stream schools and 20 Russian language schools. Newspapers print the proposal of the Latvian Association for the Support for Russian Schools on establishing a lower ‘sufficient number of students necessary to open a class in schools implementing minority education programs. A letter from the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Russias State Council Dmitry Rogozin, responding to the situation with Cesis school, says that the true objective of Latvian officials is to eliminate Russian schools. Vechernaya Riga, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf, Chas

Chas interviews the deputy chairman of the Peoples Harmony Party Janis Urbanovitch about the draft party programme to be adopted on the next partys session. The draft programme proposes the opportunities to grant Latvian citizenship to persons born in Latvia and those who have lived in Latvia for more than 10 years; promotion of naturalization and granting to non-citizens the right to vote at municipal elections; the establishment of the Department on National Minority Affairs in the Ministry of Education and Science.

Vesti Segodnya believes that the current government will not support the amendments to the Citizenship Law proposed by the Special Task Ministers for Societal Integration Secretariat and the Naturalization Board. The amendments stipulate opportunities to register Latvian citizenship for persons who have graduated from a basic or secondary school with Latvian language of instruction even if they have not completed the entire education process in Latvian.

Political scientist Janis Ikstenssummarizes his impressions from the seminar “Latvia – Russia: the New Cooperation Perspectives” which has recently took place in Moscow. Janis Ikstens considers Russia’s accusations to Latvia as a part of strategic action, not influenced by the pre-election campaign. He also believes that Russia will try to use Latvia’s EU membership to its own advantage. On the other hand, Latvia cannot expect that EU will always support Latvia’s stance because of the economic relationships between the EU states and Russia.

Political scientist Janis Ikstenssummarizes his impressions from the seminar Latvia – Russia: the New Cooperation Perspectives which has recently took place in Moscow. Janis Ikstens considers Russias accusations to Latvia as a part of strategic action, not influenced by the pre-election campaign. He also believes that Russia will try to use Latvias EU membership to its own advantage. On the other hand, Latvia cannot expect that EU will always support Latvias stance because of the economic relationships between the EU states and Russia. Lauku Avize