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.

Newspapers report about a conference Latvian Citizenship in XXI century

Daugavpils City Council granted LVL 10,000 for Latvian language courses

President of Latvia Andris Berzins: strength of Latvia is in its diversity

Students of Latvian and Russian language schools discussed ways how to consolidate the society

Neatkariga prints an article about integration and kindergartens in Riga

An international conference “Latvian Citizenship in XXI century” was held in Riga on 2 March. Latvian and foreign experts and politicians discussed the modernisation of the Citizenship Law. One of the main discussions’ issues was the dual citizenship. The Saeima’s Speaker Solvita Aboltina stated that citizenship has not only legal value, but also political and emotional value. And this means that a citizen should be loyal towards the state, respect its traditions, history, language and culture. At the same time, Mrs Aboltina believes that the state policy should be aimed at increase of the number of citizens and their descendants, therefore, it is important to allow dual citizenship for Latvians living abroad. Some politicians stated that Latvia should differentiate between countries, thus excluding its potential citizens in Russia, Ukraine and Byelorussia from the right to a dual citizenship. Head of the Saeima’s Legal Committee, MP Ilma Cepane stated that dual citizenship should be allowed only with countries members of the EU, the NATO and the European Free Trade Association.

An international conference Latvian Citizenship in XXI century was held in Riga on 2 March. Latvian and foreign experts and politicians discussed the modernisation of the Citizenship Law. One of the main discussions issues was the dual citizenship. The Saeimas Speaker Solvita Aboltina stated that citizenship has not only legal value, but also political and emotional value. And this means that a citizen should be loyal towards the state, respect its traditions, history, language and culture. At the same time, Mrs Aboltina believes that the state policy should be aimed at increase of the number of citizens and their descendants, therefore, it is important to allow dual citizenship for Latvians living abroad. Some politicians stated that Latvia should differentiate between countries, thus excluding its potential citizens in Russia, Ukraine and Byelorussia from the right to a dual citizenship. Head of the Saeimas Legal Committee, MP Ilma Cepane stated that dual citizenship should be allowed only with countries members of the EU, the NATO and the European Free Trade Association. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize, Diena

The Daugavpils City Council granted LVL 10,000 for Latvian language courses for the city residents. It is planned that the courses will start in the middle of March.

The Daugavpils City Council granted LVL 10,000 for Latvian language courses for the city residents. It is planned that the courses will start in the middle of March. Chas

The President of Latvia Andris Berzins in an interview with

The President of Latvia Andris Berzins in an interview with Chas states that Latvia was established as multiethnic state and the strength of the state is in its diversity and it should be preserved. The President also criticizes the politicians who speculate with the results of the referendum on the status of Russian language in such way raising their ratings. The President believes that the fact that a person has voted for the amendments granting Russian status of a state language at the referendum is not an indicator of his/her disloyalty.

The political parties the Concord Centre and the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM conducted a meeting with students of Latvian and Russian language schools discussing ways how to consolidate the society. By the end of the discussion, the students made several proposals such as conduction of common events for ethnic Latvians and Russian speakers, promotion of common informative space, decrease of politicians’ influence on mass media content, and others.

The political parties the Concord Centre and the nationalists union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM conducted a meeting with students of Latvian and Russian language schools discussing ways how to consolidate the society. By the end of the discussion, the students made several proposals such as conduction of common events for ethnic Latvians and Russian speakers, promotion of common informative space, decrease of politicians influence on mass media content, and others. Diena

Neatkariga prints an article about integration and kindergartens in Riga. Commenting a proposal of the nationalists union All for Latvia!/FF-LNIM to set that education in all kindergarten should be only in Latvian language, the Mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs states the local government cannot force parents to give children to kindergartens with Latvian language of instructions. The Mayor believes that the best way of integration is mixed groups where children are taught in both Latvian and Russian languages. In Riga, there are 32 such groups. According to interviewed representatives of Rigas kindergartens, so-called Russian language kindergartens already provide many lessons and various events for children in Latvian language.