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

Press Report

Yesterday the NATO Summit decreed to admit Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic to the bloc in 1999. The Summit confirmed that Romania, Slovenia and the three Baltic states could be considered for NATO membership in the future. Russian representatives warned NATO members against admitting Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania to the bloc stressing that their NATO membership would be considered by Russia to be a threat to its security.

Yesterday the NATO Summit decreed to admit Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic to the bloc in 1999. The Summit confirmed that Romania, Slovenia and the three Baltic states could be considered for NATO membership in the future. Russian representatives warned NATO members against admitting Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania to the bloc stressing that their NATO membership would be considered by Russia to be a threat to its security. Diena

The Riga City Council voted for restoring the Monument to the Liberators of Riga yesterday. Still, the Council declined Mrs. Zhdanok's (the "Equal Rights") suggestion to allot additional funds to the project.

The Riga City Council voted for restoring the Monument to the Liberators of Riga yesterday. Still, the Council declined Mrs. Zhdanok's (the "Equal Rights") suggestion to allot additional funds to the project. Diena

President Ulmanis was interviewed by

President Ulmanis was interviewed by "DIENA" on naturalization and citizenship issues. The President noted that ethnic Russians living in Latvia were not to be blamed for injustices made to the Latvian people during the Soviet rule. He warned against hasty political steps that could induce an explosion of hard feelings and animosity. President Ulmanis does not believe the Citizenship Law to discriminate non-citizens. Still, he suggested that the Law should be changed in the course of time. Mr. Ulmanis believes that children born in Latvia should be given Latvian citizenship. When touching upon the activities of the Council of Nationalities, the President said that he expected a more constructive approach of its members to the problems under discussion. Among such issues Mr. Ulmanis mentioned restrictions on employment of non-citizens. He has already discussed the issue with Head of the Human Rights Office Olafs Bruvers. The Office will analyze the situation while the Naturalization Bureau will study the reasons for the slowness of naturalization. The President criticized the "window mechanism" for being outdated and agreed that naturalization fee was too high for many potential applicants for citizenship. On the other hand, Mr. Ulmanis pointed at the agreement between the governing factions not allowing to amend the Citizenship Law and warned against emphasizing the issue during current period of instability in the Cabinet. In his interview the President pointed at the lack of a clear strategy for integrating non-citizens in the Latvian society. Latvia should form a society that would give any of its members deserving to obtain citizenship the right to do so, said President Ulmanis. He believes the new alien passports to be a stabilizing factor "helping a non-citizen to pass the border-line separating him or her from obtaining citizenship." Diena