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.

Press Report

Last Thursday the US Congress Committee for International Affairs informed the press about a draft bill on NATO enlargement. The draft bill supports the admission of Baltic states to NATO. Latvian Ambassador to the USA Ojars Kalnins told

Last Thursday the US Congress Committee for International Affairs informed the press about a draft bill on NATO enlargement. The draft bill supports the admission of Baltic states to NATO. Latvian Ambassador to the USA Ojars Kalnins told "DIENA" that the draft bill contained a chapter that named the three Baltic states and Romania among potential NATO members. The admission of the three Baltic states to NATO was also supported by the Committee on security and Co-operation in Europe. The Committee considered reports on the human rights situation delivered by Latvian, Lithuanian, Estonian and Polish ambassadors. According to Mr. Kalnins, the Baltic states were not criticized for human rights violations by Committee members. Chairman of the Committee D'Amato positively evaluated the point in the Latvian Ambassador's report that said that Russian-language school outnumbered Latvian schools in Riga. Diena

US Ambassador to Latvia Larry Napper in an interview for

US Ambassador to Latvia Larry Napper in an interview for "DIENA" confirmed that NATO would "leave its doors open" to all potential members. He stressed the role of NATO as a basic element of the European security system along with the OSCE, the latter playing an important role in conflict prevention. Diena

The Union of Latvian Ukrainians issued a statement criticizing the existing laws and regulations on naturalization. The statement points at the fact that only 200 ethnic Ukrainians have obtained citizenship through naturalization. The total number of Ukrainians residing in Latvia is 63.3 thousand. The Union will submit several suggestions on amending the Latvian legislation to the

The Union of Latvian Ukrainians issued a statement criticizing the existing laws and regulations on naturalization. The statement points at the fact that only 200 ethnic Ukrainians have obtained citizenship through naturalization. The total number of Ukrainians residing in Latvia is 63.3 thousand. The Union will submit several suggestions on amending the Latvian legislation to the Saeima, the President and the Head of the Naturalization Board. The suggestions include granting citizenship through registration to all persons born in Latvia, allowing permanent residents who resided in Latvia on May 4, 1990, to undergo naturalization outside "the window mechanism", exempting persons over sixty years of age of naturalization tests and exempting holders of "language certificates" of naturalization language tests.

President Ulmanis told

President Ulmanis told "DIENA" that certain ethnic groups could not be given advantages as for obtaining Latvian citizenship. He noted that Poles who entered Latvia in 1939 and 1940 as refugees were entitled to extraordinary naturalization. Still, he will discuss the status of those who entered the country after 1945 with the Polish President during his visit to Poland. Mr. Ulmanis pointed at the fact that 6,000 Poles having the right to obtain citizenship through naturalization did not exercise the right. President Ulmanis left for Poland today. Diena

The Immigration Police arrested a civil wife of a well-known pop-singer Sergey Gallaktionov. Mr. Gallaktionov at a press-conference explained that his wife Natalya was detained for not having a Register of Inhabitants stamp in her passport. She is kept in custody by the Immigration Police and is not allowed to meet with her husband and lawyers. CID officials explain that Natalya, being a daughter of a Russian serviceman, is to be expelled to Russia. Her father is legally residing in Latvia while Natalya did not receive a Register stamp due to the sickness and death of her child. Riga City Council deputy Normunds Ozolins ("Equal Rights") contacted Minister of Interior Turlais on the case. The Minister promised to investigate the issue.

The Immigration Police arrested a civil wife of a well-known pop-singer Sergey Gallaktionov. Mr. Gallaktionov at a press-conference explained that his wife Natalya was detained for not having a Register of Inhabitants stamp in her passport. She is kept in custody by the Immigration Police and is not allowed to meet with her husband and lawyers. CID officials explain that Natalya, being a daughter of a Russian serviceman, is to be expelled to Russia. Her father is legally residing in Latvia while Natalya did not receive a Register stamp due to the sickness and death of her child. Riga City Council deputy Normunds Ozolins ("Equal Rights") contacted Minister of Interior Turlais on the case. The Minister promised to investigate the issue. SM