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.

• Ainars Latkovskis: Latvia will not apply the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities to immigrants
• Governing coalition will discuss the recent statements of the Head of the Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksandrs Kirsteins
• Interview with the former leader of the party Latvias Way Andrejs Pantelejevs about the results of the municipal elections
• Article by the advisor of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Ilmars Mezs
• Latvijas Avize criticises state institutions for allowing the Headquarters for the Defence for Russian-language Schools to continue its activities
• Zigurds Strikis, the assistant of MP Leoppolds Ozolins, about the draft declaration on the condemnation of the totalitarian communism regime and Soviet Occupation

Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Ainars Latkovskis stated that ‘Latvia will not apply the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities to immigrants.’ According to the Minister, only those minorities, which have lived in Latvia for at least 100 years, will be regarded as national minorities. While the chief rapporteur on the implementation of the Framework Convention to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) and member of Saeima Boris Cilevics (People’s Harmony Party) warns that the Council of Europe will not admit reservations which contradict the goals of the Convention. According to Cilevics, the new head of the PACE Monitoring Committee Gyorgy Frunda is planning to visit Latvia.

Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Ainars Latkovskis stated that ‘Latvia will not apply the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities to immigrants. According to the Minister, only those minorities, which have lived in Latvia for at least 100 years, will be regarded as national minorities. While the chief rapporteur on the implementation of the Framework Convention to the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) and member of Saeima Boris Cilevics (Peoples Harmony Party) warns that the Council of Europe will not admit reservations which contradict the goals of the Convention. According to Cilevics, the new head of the PACE Monitoring Committee Gyorgy Frunda is planning to visit Latvia. Vesti Segodnya

The governing coalition will discuss the recent statements of the Head of the Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksandrs Kirsteins (the People’s Party). As reported, in his interview to the Latvian daily

The governing coalition will discuss the recent statements of the Head of the Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Aleksandrs Kirsteins (the Peoples Party). As reported, in his interview to the Latvian daily Latvijas Avize Aleksandrs Kirsteins proposed to replace some state integration policies with partial assimilation or repatriation of ethnic non-Latvians According to the Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis (the Peoples Party), the Kirsteins statements do not promote the consolidation of society in Latvia. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Neatkariga Rita Avize prints an interview with the former leader of the party Latvias Way Andrejs Pantelejevs about the results of the municipal elections. Andrejs Pantelejevs states that the results revealed that alongside the powerful mono-ethnic Latvian political parties also powerful mono-ethnic Russian political parties appear on the political scene. Andrejs Pantelejevs stresses that all mono-ethnic parties are interested to promote radical ideas. He argues that now is the time when ‘sharp conflicts among various parts of society are very possible. Pantelejevs also warns that the next Saeima elections may bring an extremely polarised and unpredictable parliament.

Diena features an article by the advisor of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Ilmars Mezs. In his article, Ilmars Mezs reveals his views on the discussion on minority rights in Latvia during the session of the Intergroup for the Defence of Traditional National Minorities, Constitutional Regions and Regional Languages of the European Parliament. The discussion was initiated by the member of the European Parliament Tatjana Zdanoka and, in the opinion of Mezs, was used in the pre-election campaign of the union For Human Rights in the United Latvia. Ilmars Mezs argues that influence of this intergroup is not as big as it was reported: the intergroup it is not an official structure of the Parliament. Mezs also notes that in the discussion several members of the intergroup have pointed out that minorities which live in Latvia should speak the Latvian language.

Latvijas Avize criticises state institutions for allowing the unregistered and, according to the newspaper, anti-governmental organisation Headquarters for the Defence for Russian-language Schools continue its activities. The newspaper notes that the Headquarters published the calls to participate in meeting at the Monument of Freedom on 16 March in its web page. The Minister of Justice Solvita Aboltina responds that she has not discussed this issue with the Minister of Interior Eriks Jekabsons because ‘Jekabsons does not have a political will to deal with the Headquarters. The press secretary of the Ministry of Interior Krists Leiskalns states that a possibility to close this organisation will be discussed if the organisation perform illegal activities.

Vesti Segodnya re-prints excerpts of the interview with Zigurds Strikis, the assistant of MP Leoppolds Ozolins (the Union of Greens and Farmers) with the national radical newspaper DDD about the draft declaration on the condemnation of the totalitarian communism regime and Soviet Occupation. Zigurds Strikis admits that next Saeima may adopt the declaration. According to Strikis, the MP Leopolds Ozolins and several other MPs support the radical version of the declaration which demands Russia to deport all persons who were housed in Latvia during occupation.