• Diena features an article on the migration policy
• Latvijas Avize features an interview with the Ukrainian Ambassador to Latvia Raul Chilachava
• Article about a Romani family from Madona
• 113,972 persons were granted Latvian citizenship through naturalisation since 1995
• Andrejs Klementjevs: The Concord Centre represent interests not only of Russians

Diena features an article on the migration policy in Latvia. According to the newspaper the Latvian employment market needs guest workers. However, only two political parties have clearly defined their migration policy in their pre-election programs – For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM and the Concord Centre. FF/LNIM is negative towards the influx of guest workers in the country, while The Concord Centre supports employment of foreigners. The professor of the Stockholm School of Economics in Riga Vjaceslavs Dombrovskis commented that avoiding the issue reveals that other parties do not want to talk about the controversial issue.

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the Ukrainian Ambassador to Latvia Raul Chilichava. According to Mr. Chilachava of 60,000 ethnic Ukrainians who live in Latvia, about 15,000 have become citizens of the country. The Ambassador believes that if the rest of Ukrainians want to stay in Latvia they have to naturalise and become full-fledged citizens.

Latvijas Avize prints an article about a Romany family from Madona (town in the central eastern part of Latvia) - Dzintars and Helena Burkevics who participated in a public discussion on the draft national program Roma in Latvia. Helena Burkevica, the head of the Romany Cultural Society of Madona, stated that issues faced by Roma in Latvia require immediate solutions. She also noted that it is crucial that Roma receive education as education is a key factor to get a good job which would then ensure better living conditions.

113,972 persons, including 12,852 children, were granted Latvian citizenship through naturalisation since the procedure was launched in 1995.

113,972 persons, including 12,852 children, were granted Latvian citizenship through naturalisation since the procedure was launched in 1995.

NRA features an interview with the MP Andrejs Klementjevs (The Concord Centre). Mr. Klementjevs stated that the party The Concord Centre represents not only interests of Russians but also of all residents in Latvia. Andrejs Klementjevs noted that no division along ethnic lines in politics should exist, because in fact people are already integrated and all Latvian residents have similar problems.

• Supreme Court Senates Department of Administrative Cases refused the claim of the movements Return Our Names! activist Ruslan Pankratov
• Chas interviews the OKROLs activist Mihails Tjasins
• Interview with the leaders of the Latvias First Party Irina Vinnika and Ainars Slesers
• Chas reports on the pre-election program of the political union Motherland
• Vesti Segodnya prints an article about the leader of the Latvian National Front Aivars Garda
• Ministry of Education and Science has decided not to open a first grade with Russian language of instruction in Tukums
• 3 119 guest workers from 71 countries are employed in Latvia

Yesterday, the Supreme Court Senate’s Department of Administrative Cases has refused to change the decision of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in the case of the activist of a movement “Return Our Names!” Ruslan Pankratov. As reported, Mr. Pankratov has objected to the Latvianisation of his name and surname (adding the ending -

Yesterday, the Supreme Court Senates Department of Administrative Cases has refused to change the decision of the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in the case of the activist of a movement Return Our Names! Ruslan Pankratov. As reported, Mr. Pankratov has objected to the Latvianisation of his name and surname (adding the ending -s) in his passport issued in Latvia. However, all Latvian judiciary instances have refused the claim. At present, Ruslan Pankartov is planning to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Chas features an interview with the activist of the OKROL (the United Congress of the Russian Community in Latvia) and the head of the Riga Regional Russian Community Mihails Tjasins. Mr. Tjasins recently has won the case in which he has sued the newspaper Latvijas Avize for publication of false statements allegedly injuring his honour and dignity. Mihails Tjasins believed that Latvijas Avize has published false statements (accusing him in illegal business activities) because of his participation in OKROL and protests actions against the implementation of minority education reform.

Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with the leaders of the Latvias First Party Irina Vinnika and Ainars Slesers. According to Irina Vinnika, the party is planning to develop a project to achieve granting Latvian citizenship to all residents born in Latvia. Ainars Slesers believes that more Russians should have political power since this is the only way to consolidate the society.

Chas reports on the pre-election program of the political union Motherland. According to the newspaper, the partys program is focused primarily on social and economic issues. At the same time, granting automatic of citizenship to all non-citizens and implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities without any reservations the party outlines as the core objectives concerning minority issues.

Vesti Segodnya prints an article about the leader of the extreme ultra-right organisation Latvian National Front Aivars Garda. The daily refers to Aivars Gardas given an interview to the information agency Free Caucasus where he has named people supporting the rights of Russian-speakers and residents who do not know the Latvian language as enemies and occupants of Latvia.

Vesti Segodnya reports on parents complaints against the decision of the Ministry of Education and Science not to open the first grade with Russian language as the main language of instruction in Tukums. If the grade is opened it would be the only Russian first grade in the town.

NRA features an article on guest workers in Latvia. At present, 3 119 guest workers from 71 countries with working permits, predominantly from Lithuania, Russia, Germany, Estonia, Ukraine, and Denmark, are employed in Latvia.

• Summer sports camp for Russian speaking children and youth
• Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with FHRULs representatives

Diena features an article on a summer sports camp in Daugavpils organised in the framework of the U.K. Embassys integration project Together with the aim of helping Russian speaking children and youth to learn Latvian language. The head of the camp Tamara Skolnikova believes that working with youth is the best way to integrate Russian speakers into Latvian society.

Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with the representatives of the political party For Human Rights in United Latvia (FHRUL) Andrejs Kozlovs, Jurijs Sokolovskis and Nikolajs Kabanovs. The members of the party claim that the protection of Russian community will remain among the main objectives of the FHRULs activities if the party will win in the Saeimas elections.

• Chas on the Concord Centres pre-election program

Chas reports on the pre-election program of the political party Concord Centre. According to the newspaper, widening and protection of non-citizens rights as well as the Russian languages promotion and development are among the main partys objectives.

• Political party Our Land is planning to hold a public event on 23 August, the day of the Molotov-Ribbentrop pacts signing
• Diena about the extreme right-wing National Power Unity

As a reminder about the consequences of the Molotov-Ribentrop Pact for Latvia, the political party “Our Land” is planning to hold a public event near the Monument to Soviet Liberators of Riga from German and Fascist Invaders on 23 August. A MP Nikolajs Kabanovs (FHRUL) has sent an open letter to the Executive Director of the Riga City Council Eriks Skapars with an appeal not to issue a permit for the event. According to Nikolajs Kabanovs, the day of the event is not connected with the monument which is a sacred place for the Russian community in Latvia.

As a reminder about the consequences of the Molotov-Ribentrop Pact for Latvia, the political party Our Land is planning to hold a public event near the Monument to Soviet Liberators of Riga from German and Fascist Invaders on 23 August. A MP Nikolajs Kabanovs (FHRUL) has sent an open letter to the Executive Director of the Riga City Council Eriks Skapars with an appeal not to issue a permit for the event. According to Nikolajs Kabanovs, the day of the event is not connected with the monument which is a sacred place for the Russian community in Latvia. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

Diena continues introducing its readers with the parties running for the upcoming Saeimas elections, in particular with the extreme right-wing National Power Unity (NSS in its Latvian acronym). The leader of the party Viktors Birze claims that one of the main partys objectives is to grant political power to ethnic Latvians.