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.

• Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Ainars Latkovskis talks about societal integration in Latvia
• Interview with the Minister of Justice Solvita Aboltina
• Head of the Saeima Committee on the Implementation of the Citizenship Law Anta Rugate: there is no need to amend the Citizenship Law
• Russian Foreign Affairs Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov: Latvia and Estonia violate rights of national minorities
• Book ‘History of Latvia: 20thCentury has been published in the Russian language

Chas features an interview with the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Ainars Latkovskis about societal integration in Latvia. The Minister believes that there is no basis for the formation of a two-community state in Latvia. He argues that all non-citizens have a right to naturalisation and take part in states political affairs. The Minister adds that a two-community state appears when two linguistic communities, which have been living side by side, form one country, however, in Latvia there are no mono-national regions and national minorities are dispersed in the whole territory of Latvia. He notes that young people do not have any big problems with Latvian and the implementation of the minority education reform will improve this situation in future. He states that a decrease of the education quality at minority schools should be perceived only as a short-term problem. When asked to comment on ratification of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, the Minister stresses that first of all Latvia has to study experiences of countries which have already ratified the Convention.

Latvijas Avize prints an interview with the Minister of Justice Solvita Aboltina. The Minister supports the proposal of the Head of the Naturalisation Board Eizenija Aldermane that the Citizenship Law should be amended, i.e. the circle of persons who should not be entitled to Latvian citizenship should be broadened. When asked about the claim of the activist of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian-language Schools Jurijs Petropavlovskis against the government, Solvita Aboltina notes that the governments decision not to grant Jurijs Petropavlovskis Latvian citizenship was a political decision, therefore might not be appealed with court.

Vesti Segodnya features an interview with the Head of the Saeima Committee on the Implementation of the Citizenship Law Anta Rugate. Anta Rugate believes that there is no need to amend the Citizenship Law, that is, change the text of the loyalty pledge which is given by naturalisation applicants. She believes that the effective law fully complies with the states interests and needs.

The Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov has reproached Latvia and Estonia for violating the European Union’s standards in the area of national minority rights. The Minister believes that the EU should take steps to improve this situation. In his interview with the German newspaper

The Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov has reproached Latvia and Estonia for violating the European Unions standards in the area of national minority rights. The Minister believes that the EU should take steps to improve this situation. In his interview with the German newspaper Handelsblatt the Minister states that the tempo of naturalisation in Latvia and Estonia is too slow. Sergey Lavrov argues that that the invitation of the President of Russia Vladimir Putin to the leaders of the Baltic States to visit the planned celebration of the anniversary of the victory in World War II and sign the border agreement with Latvia shows Russias wish to build good relations with Latvia. Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

The book ‘History of Latvia: 20th

The book ‘History of Latvia: 20thCentury has been published in the Russian language. This is the first most extended publication about the Latvian history in Russian. Latvijas Avize