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.

• Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration plans to implement a public awareness campaign on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities
• Baltic Assembly calls the Baltic States to ask compensations for damages brought by Soviet and German occupations
• Psychologist and professor of the University of Latvia Olegs Nikiforovs comments on the implementation of bilingual education in minority schools
• Jewish memorial site opened in the Malta parish
• Majority of St. Petersburgs residents think that Latvia is not a friendly country

The Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Ainars Latkovskis plans to launch a public awareness campaign about the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The campaign will be launched in May and will go till December next year. In the framework of the campaign informative materials will be published, public discussions, expert seminars and lecture series will be organised.

The Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Ainars Latkovskis plans to launch a public awareness campaign about the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. The campaign will be launched in May and will go till December next year. In the framework of the campaign informative materials will be published, public discussions, expert seminars and lecture series will be organised. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Participants of the Baltic Assembly issued a resolution calling the governments of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia to launch negotiations with Russia and Germany about receiving compensations for damages brought by these occupations.

Participants of the Baltic Assembly issued a resolution calling the governments of Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia to launch negotiations with Russia and Germany about receiving compensations for damages brought by these occupations. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Diena prints an article by the psychologist and professor of the University of Latvia Olegs Nikiforovs about the implementation of bilingual education in minority schools. He argues that bilingual education model introduced in Latvia is based on the bilingual education models developed for Turks in Germany and that these models are not suited for the situation of Latvia, first of all, because Latvia is not able to ensure the necessary Latvian language environment. Referring to the opinion poll, which professor conducted in 1998, Olegs Nikiforovs states that the level of motivation among Russians to learn Latvian is rather high. He notes that there is a strong need for Latvian language environment and the lack of such environment is the main obstacle for successful implementation of bilingual education in Latvia.

Yesterday a Jewish memorial site was opened in the Malta parish (Eastern part of Latvia). In World War II a number of Jews were shot there. The director of the Riga Jewish Community Gita Umanovska stated that there are approximately 200 places in Latvia where mass destruction of Jews took place.

Yesterday a Jewish memorial site was opened in the Malta parish (Eastern part of Latvia). In World War II a number of Jews were shot there. The director of the Riga Jewish Community Gita Umanovska stated that there are approximately 200 places in Latvia where mass destruction of Jews took place. Telegraf

According to the opinion poll, conducted by the Russian news agency

According to the opinion poll, conducted by the Russian news agency Rosbalt, 45% inhabitants of St. Petersburg think that Latvia is not a friendly state and 29.7% believes that Latvia is a friendly country. The General Consul of Latvia in St. Petersburg Hardijs Baumanis believes that the negative attitude among Russias residents towards Latvia is due to biased information about Latvia spread by the Russian mass media about Latvia. Diena