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.

• Minister of Education and Science Vjaceslavs Dombrovskis: there are no plans to transfer all state funded kindergartens or schools to Latvian language only
• Demographer Ilmars Mezs: there will be about 100,000 immigrants in 20 years
• Discussion on denying the occupation of Latvia organised by the FHRUL

Vesti Segodnya interviews the Minister of Education and Science Vjaceslavs Dombrovskis (Reform Party). The newspaper highlights the fact that Mr Dombrovskis is an ethnic Russian minister in the Latvian government. According to the Minister, there are no plans to transfer all state funded kindergartens or schools to instruction in Latvian language only, because tax payers should have a choice in which language their children should study. The minister also believes that every language should be learned gradually because if a child or a student from the Russian speaking environment is directly placed into the Latvian speaking environment it may cause problems with acquiring the study material. Mr Dombrovskis also relates his own experience in studying in Latvian in higher education establishments

Demographer Ilmars Mezs believes that in 20 years there will be around 100,000 immigrants living in Latvia. According to Mr Mezs, even if considerable number of Latvians who emigrated return back to Latvia it will not save the country from the shortage of labour force and attracting of immigrants.  Mr Mezs believes that the majority of immigrants will be young people. Vesti Segodnya

Yesterday, on the official Occupation Day (17 June 1940) political party For Human Rights in United Latvia (FHRUL) organised a discussion on whether Latvia was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1939-1940.  The majority of speakers denied the fact of occupation believing that the Soviet Union had saved Latvia from becoming part of Germany. Yesterday the MP Nikolajs Kabanovs (Concord Centre) launched his book “Secrets of Soviet Latvia” which according to the author tells about the “golden years” of the Latvian Socialistic Soviet Republic in 1960s-80s. The MP Janina Kurstite (Unity) called the launching of such a book on the Occupation Day the humiliation for Latvian state. Diena, Neatkariga