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 Review

The Cabinet of Ministers considered the agreements on troops withdrawal and pensioned officers. At the TV press-conference that followed the meeting of the Cabinet Mr.Birkavs emphasized that everyone should seriously think about possible results of the ratification or non-ratification of the agreements. He also gave his own reasons in favor of the ratification. He stressed that the Russian army will be withdrawn before August 31 and the dismantling of the new facilities at Skrunda would start immediately after that. He also stressed that the agreements would be registered by the UN and international control would be exercised over the facility. He said that the agreement did not provide for the granting of Latvian citizenship to pensioned Russian officers. In case the agreements were not signed the withdrawal would not be accomplished until the end of the year, Russia would continue controlling Skrunda, and Latvia would not receive any compensation.In his interview for "LABRIT" Mr.Birkavs also said that one of the possible ways to increase the compensation indirectly could be the introduction of favorable import duties on agricultural goods imported to Russia. Diena

President Ulmanis and the members of the latvian delegation to the troops withdrawal talks agreed that the people should know more about the agreement and that the government should start a propaganda campaign on the subject. The results of recent sociological polls were also discussed. According to the results 52% of the Latvian citizens demand the suspension of the Skrunda radar operation before August 31. In this connection it was stressed that society should be provided with a more concise information on the agreements. Diena

The Ambassador of the Council of Europe Jaime Cabanihlas i Unquera stressed that though the agreement is not an ideal one it would be an important step towards the consolidation of Europe. Diena

The "RIGAS BALSS" journalist Arnis Lapins comments on the reaction to the initialization of the agreements between Latvia and Russia. He stresses that nationalists had started protesting against the agreements even before they were published. He also insists that the approach to the issue should be realistic. He points out that the Russian Parliament might not ratify the agreement. As a main reason for the opposition's objections against the ratification the journalist names their willingness to carry on with endless discussions instead of solving economical and social problems.Rigas Balss

The "ROSAMLAT" association headed by the Ambassador of Latvia to Russia Mr.Janis Peters is building cottages for 6,700 families of Russian Army officers in Russia. The association is operating within the framework of "Russian Military Officer Resettlement Program" by the US Government. 160 mln USD are expected to be spent on the program. "ROSAMLAT" is planning to provide 150,000 officers and their family members with houses and apartments. Rigas Balss

The Saema Working Group for Human Rights has worked up the draft law on the status of politically oppressed inhabitants of Latvia. Defined as "politically oppressed" are citizens of the Latvian Republic and its inhabitants who entered the country after May 9, 1994 or legally resided in the country before June 17, 1940 and were politically oppressed during Nazi occupation and Communist regime. The draft also includes a new category of "indirectly oppressed" i.e. Latvian citizens who were not prosecuted or exiled to Siberia but lost their property or were oppressed in other manner. Diena

Mr.Vladimir Bogdanov in his interview for "PANORAMA LATVII" accuses the Supreme Court in supporting decisions of the Department of Citizenship and Immigration formerly declined by local courts. He stresses that Mr.Martins Dudelis, the First Deputy-Chairman of the Supreme Court uses formal pretexts to support the decisions by the Department. Panorama Latvii

On March 23 a picketing of the Cabinet of Ministers by "round stamps" took place. Around one hundred persons carrying enlarged round stamps and quotations from the Declaration of Human Rights took part in the event. SM