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.

• Society Integration Foundation allocates more than 150,000 lats to ethnic integration projects
• 500, 000 euro per year from the European Fund for Refugees will be available for Latvia from 2005 till 2007
• Prime Minister Indulis Emsis condemns attempts of political parties to use education issues in selfish interests
• Special Tasks Minister for Society Integration Nils Muiznieks informs Brussels about society integration process in Latvia
• Minister of Education and Science Juris Radzevics discusses the education reform implementation with the representatives of the For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM parliamentary group
• Saeima Legal Affairs Committee rejects amendments to the Constitution of Latvia, which stipulate additional rights for non-citizens
• Newspapers write about discussion at Saeima Legal Affairs Committee on opening of the files of the former agents of the State Security Committee
• Parliamentary secretary of the Special Tasks Ministers for Society Integration Secretariat Aleksandrs Brandavs on society integration issues
• Leader of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-language Schools Jurijs Petropavlovskis gets fined for organisation of the unapproved protest action against the education reform
• Russia plans to submit statement about violations of the Russian-speakers rights in the Baltic States to the European Parliament
• Memorial wall dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust and Gulag was unveiled yesterday in Liepaja
• Interview with the former Minister for Education and Science Karlis Sadurskis
• Interview with the Russia State Councils deputy Viktor Alksnis about Russian policy towards Latvia

Society Integration Foundation (SIF) has allocated more than 150,000 lats to forty-five different projects in the area of ethnic integration.

Society Integration Foundation (SIF) has allocated more than 150,000 lats to forty-five different projects in the area of ethnic integration. Telegraf

EU interior ministers decided that  500,000 euro per year from the European Fund for Refugees will be available for Latvia from 2005 until 2007. This financial assistance is provided for activities aimed at improvement of the living conditions of refugees in the host countries, as well as for their integration into society, and repatriation to the native country. Latvia is obliged to provide co-financing in the amount of 125,000 euro.

EU interior ministers decided that 500,000 euro per year from the European Fund for Refugees will be available for Latvia from 2005 until 2007. This financial assistance is provided for activities aimed at improvement of the living conditions of refugees in the host countries, as well as for their integration into society, and repatriation to the native country. Latvia is obliged to provide co-financing in the amount of 125,000 euro. Diena

Prime Minister Indulis Emsis expressed incomprehension and indignation about  attempts of several political parties to use education issues in their own selfish interests. According to Indulis Emsis, one of the leaders of the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia (FHRUL) Tatjana Zdanoka is doing all possible to prevent development of a constructive dialogue between the government and minorities in the area of the education reform.

Prime Minister Indulis Emsis expressed incomprehension and indignation about attempts of several political parties to use education issues in their own selfish interests. According to Indulis Emsis, one of the leaders of the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia (FHRUL) Tatjana Zdanoka is doing all possible to prevent development of a constructive dialogue between the government and minorities in the area of the education reform. Latvijas Avize, Chas

Special Tasks Minister for Society Integration Nils Muiznieks has been informing the EU officials about society integration process in Latvia during his visit to Brussels. He has met with the Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs Antonio Vitorino, Director-General for Employment and Social Affairs Odile Quintin, and  diplomats responsible for relations with Russia.

Special Tasks Minister for Society Integration Nils Muiznieks has been informing the EU officials about society integration process in Latvia during his visit to Brussels. He has met with the Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs Antonio Vitorino, Director-General for Employment and Social Affairs Odile Quintin, and diplomats responsible for relations with Russia. Diena

Newspapers write about the meeting of the Minister for Education and Science Juris Radzevics with representatives of the For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM parliamentary group in order to discuss implementation of the education reform. Minister confirmed that there are no plans to open the Law on Education for changes in the process of the reform implementation. Juris Radzevics also recognized that several minority schools are not ready for reform implementation, and stressed that  they will get additional support from the ministry.

Newspapers write about the meeting of the Minister for Education and Science Juris Radzevics with representatives of the For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM parliamentary group in order to discuss implementation of the education reform. Minister confirmed that there are no plans to open the Law on Education for changes in the process of the reform implementation. Juris Radzevics also recognized that several minority schools are not ready for reform implementation, and stressed that they will get additional support from the ministry. Latvijas Avize, Rigas Balss, Chas, Telegraf

Saeima Legal Affairs Committee has rejected proposal, submitted by MP Jurijs Sokolovskis (FHRUL), to amend the Constitution of Latvia stipulating rights for non-citizens to participate at the municipal elections and rights not to be extradited to a foreign country.

Saeima Legal Affairs Committee has rejected proposal, submitted by MP Jurijs Sokolovskis (FHRUL), to amend the Constitution of Latvia stipulating rights for non-citizens to participate at the municipal elections and rights not to be extradited to a foreign country. Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Newspapers write about discussion at the Saeima Legal Affairs Committee on  making files on former agents of the State Security Committee of the Soviet Republic of Latvia publicly available, and inform that MPs were not able to agree on the possible mechanism of opening the files.

Newspapers write about discussion at the Saeima Legal Affairs Committee on making files on former agents of the State Security Committee of the Soviet Republic of Latvia publicly available, and inform that MPs were not able to agree on the possible mechanism of opening the files. Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Rigas Balss, Vesti Segodnya

Vetsi Segodnya features opinion of the parliamentary secretary of the Special Tasks Ministers for Society Integration Secretariat Aleksandrs Brandavs on society integration issues and activities of the education reforms opponents.

Riga Central Court imposed a 150 lats fine on the leader of the Headquarters for the Defences of Russian-language Schools Jurijs Petropavlovskis for organising an unapproved protest action against the education reform. Jurijs Petropavlovskis has not pleaded guilty, arguing that he was  only accompanying his under-aged daughter, who participated in the protest action.

Riga Central Court imposed a 150 lats fine on the leader of the Headquarters for the Defences of Russian-language Schools Jurijs Petropavlovskis for organising an unapproved protest action against the education reform. Jurijs Petropavlovskis has not pleaded guilty, arguing that he was only accompanying his under-aged daughter, who participated in the protest action. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Telegraf

Russia is planning to submit  a statement on violations of the Russian-speakers’ rights in the Baltic States to the European Parliament,  said representative of the Russia State Council’s parliamentary group Yedinaya Rossiya (United Russia) Konstantin Zatulin. Russian official has pointed to the fact that, although Russian-speakers constitute one third of Latvian residents, and fifteen percents of Estonian residents, they are deprived of the right to participate in the European Union elections, and therefore to be represented in the European Parliament.

Russia is planning to submit a statement on violations of the Russian-speakers rights in the Baltic States to the European Parliament, said representative of the Russia State Councils parliamentary group Yedinaya Rossiya (United Russia) Konstantin Zatulin. Russian official has pointed to the fact that, although Russian-speakers constitute one third of Latvian residents, and fifteen percents of Estonian residents, they are deprived of the right to participate in the European Union elections, and therefore to be represented in the European Parliament. Neatkariga Rita Avize

Memorial wall, dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust and Gulag, was unveiled yesterday in  Liepaja, in the Western part of Latvia. More than 6,400 victims’ names  are engraved upon the wall. Only three percents of Liepaja’s Jews have survived through the Soviet and Hitler occupations and the World War II.

Memorial wall, dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust and Gulag, was unveiled yesterday in Liepaja, in the Western part of Latvia. More than 6,400 victims names are engraved upon the wall. Only three percents of Liepajas Jews have survived through the Soviet and Hitler occupations and the World War II. Latvijas Vestnesis, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Chas, Telegraf

Chas features an interview with the former Minister for Education and Science Karlis Sadurskis about implementation of the education reform and activities of the reforms opponents.

Chas prints an interview with the deputy of the Russia State Council Viktor Alksnis about relations between Russia and Latvia. Russian MP believes that Russia should have her own ‘tough policy towards Latvia, and that there is no need in coordinating this policy with the European Union.