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

Within the framework of the 12th session of the Baltic Assembly on 9 May the Latvian and Estonian Prime Ministers and the Lithuanian Minister of Justice signed a resolution setting terms for further co-operation in trade, communication and education spheres. The Baltic Assembly adopted several resolutions, in one of them it expressed the attitude towards tendencies of national-socialism in Russia and condemned Russia’s economic and political pressure onto Latvia.

Within the framework of the 12th session of the Baltic Assembly on 9 May the Latvian and Estonian Prime Ministers and the Lithuanian Minister of Justice signed a resolution setting terms for further co-operation in trade, communication and education spheres. The Baltic Assembly adopted several resolutions, in one of them it expressed the attitude towards tendencies of national-socialism in Russia and condemned Russias economic and political pressure onto Latvia. Diena

Indulis Berzins,

Indulis Berzins, Latvijas Cels deputy, rejects the statements of some politicians that the Latvijas Cels has monopolized and, moreover, failed the Latvian foreign policy. According to Indulis Berzins, the main player in the Latvian foreign affairs is the Cabinet of Ministers which bases its policy on the conception adopted by the Saeima, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, a member of the Latvijas Cels, only carries out the governmental policy and not the policy of the Party. Diena

Panorama Latvii publishes a short interview with the Russian Ambassador in Latvia Alexander Udalcov in which he assures the readers that the Embassy follows the developments in the educational system related with the introduction of Latvian as the language of instruction. Answering to the question about the pensions for WW II veterans and soldiers of the former USSR Army of lower ranks, the Ambassador said that the Russian government is looking for possibilities to allocate additional funding for this purpose. Panorama Latvii

A letter of OSCE High Commissioner Max van der Stoel sent to Prime Minister Guntars Krasts was discussed at the meeting of Foreign Affairs Minsters of G8 countries in London. According to

A letter of OSCE High Commissioner Max van der Stoel sent to Prime Minister Guntars Krasts was discussed at the meeting of Foreign Affairs Minsters of G8 countries in London. According to B&B, the Latvian translation of the letter differ the original text. In the Latvian version "unpleasant expressions of Max van der Stoel were maximally retouched, the emphases were misplaced, and the strict tone of the letter was changed to favourably-recommending one." According to Yevgeny Primakov who got acquainted with the excerpts of the letter during the aforementioned meeting in London, Max van der Stoel categorically does not agree with the undertakings of the Latvian government towards the easing of discriminating situation of Russian-speaking population in Latvia. By refusing to discuss the first version of the Citizenship Law (about the granting citizenship to children upon reaching the age of 16 after fulfilling several requirements), Mr. Stoel points at failure to implement several of his recommendations. B&B