• European Commission criticizes Latvia for incomplete transposition of the EU Racial Equality Directive
• Belorussian guest worker detained for an attack and robbery of a taxi-driver in Riga
• Latvijas Avize features an interview with the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins
• Latvian Antifascist Committee and Estonian NGO Night Watch have agreed on co-operation

Telegraf reports that the European Commission (EC) has reminded Latvia about the need to fully transpose norms of the EU Racial Equality Directive into the national legal acts. According to the EC, ethnicity is not mentioned among various kinds of discrimination grounds prohibited by the Latvian Social Insurance Law. However, the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration in a reply to the EC, which was approved by the government yesterday, has stated that the Law stipulates prohibition not only of specific grounds of discrimination (such as gender, age, health) but also discrimination based on other not mentioned grounds.

Newspapers report that a Belorussian guest worker was detained for an attack and robbery of a taxi-driver in Riga.

Newspapers report that a Belorussian guest worker was detained for an attack and robbery of a taxi-driver in Riga. Chas claims that due to the luck of effective national policy concerning foreign labour force in Latvia, influx of guest workers is not controlled enough. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins (For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM). As reported, the Minister proposes to merge the Naturalisation Board and the State Language Centre into one institution. Gaidis Berzins considers that merger of two institutions would help to save resources and to make their work for effective. The Minister believes that new institution has to put its accent on state language because state language and citizenship are inseparable issues.

Latvijas Avize reports that members of the Latvian Antifascist Committee and Estonian NGO Night Watch have agreed on co-operation. According to a representative of Night Watch, both organisations are planning to hold various activities and events against expansion of neo-Nazi and Russophobic ideology in Latvia and Estonia.

• Chas features an interview with the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Oskars Kastens on elaboration of a new national integration program
• Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins does not support a proposal to celebrate the Day of Citizen on 3 August
• Radical political organisations are planning to hold Russian March on 8 September in the centre of Riga
• Company Rigas Satiksme is planning to attract guest workers

Chas features an interview with the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Oskars Kastens on elaboration of a new national integration program. According to the Minister, new program has two priorities: strengthening of democracy and civil society and formation of inclusive society. Draft concept of the program includes issues concerning migration of labour force; maintenance of ties with Latvian residents who have emigrated to United Kingdom and Ireland in search for a job; support of ethnic minorities; and other issues. Public debates on the draft concept will be launched in September, while the Cabinet of Ministers will review it in the beginning of 2008.

The Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins does not support a proposal to celebrate the Day of Citizen on 3 August. As reported, the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Oskars Kastens has proposed to celebrate the Day of Citizen on 3 August - the day when the Cabinet of Ministers approved granting Latvian citizenship to first 103 persons who have gone through naturalisation procedure in 1995. However, Gaidis Berzins believes that this day has symbolic meaning not for all Latvian citizens but only for naturalised citizens, therefore, it might split the society even more.

The Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins does not support a proposal to celebrate the Day of Citizen on 3 August. As reported, the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Oskars Kastens has proposed to celebrate the Day of Citizen on 3 August - the day when the Cabinet of Ministers approved granting Latvian citizenship to first 103 persons who have gone through naturalisation procedure in 1995. However, Gaidis Berzins believes that this day has symbolic meaning not for all Latvian citizens but only for naturalised citizens, therefore, it might split the society even more. Chas, Telegraf, Diena

Radical political organisations Latvian National Democratic Party (LNDP) and Russian national union “Motherland” are planning to hold “Russian March” on 8 September in the centre of Riga. According to the leader of the LNDP Jevgenijs Osipovs, aim of the action is to raise self- consciousness of Russian residents of Latvia. Main slogans of the action are: “Citizenship and Voting Rights to All”, “Russian Education for Russians”, “This is Our Country ”, “Official Status for Russian Language” and other.

Radical political organisations Latvian National Democratic Party (LNDP) and Russian national union Motherland are planning to hold Russian March on 8 September in the centre of Riga. According to the leader of the LNDP Jevgenijs Osipovs, aim of the action is to raise self- consciousness of Russian residents of Latvia. Main slogans of the action are: Citizenship and Voting Rights to All, Russian Education for Russians, This is Our Country , Official Status for Russian Language and other. Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Chas and Vesti Segodnya report that a public transportation company Rigas Satiksme decided to attract foreign labour force due to the lack of workers from Latvia.

• Chas features an interview with the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers
• Latvijas Avize prints an article by the MP Visvaldis Lacis on a proposal to grant non-citizens voting rights in municipal elections

Chas features an interview with the President of Latvia Valdis Zatlers. The President believes that cultural diversity is great value for Latvia. Valdis Zatlers has stated that it is important to stimulate naturalisation of young non-citizens. The President also believes that granting non-citizens voting rights in municipal elections is pointless because this way non-citizens would be granted only partial political rights and this would not strengthen sense of belonging to the country.

Latvijas Avize prints an article by the MP Visvaldis Lacis (Union of Greens and Farmers) on a proposal to grant non-citizens voting rights in municipal elections. According to the MP, if non-citizens were granted voting rights independence of Latvia would be endangered and ethnic Latvians would lose their control in political, social and cultural spheres.

• Diena prints an article about social integration summer camps

Diena prints an article about summer camps for Latvian and Russian-speaking children held in Latvia this summer which promote integration. According to a representative of the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration, integration trough culture and joint playtime is one of the most significant ways for social integration in Latvia and for consolidation of people of various ethnic affiliations.

• Prime Minister Aigras Kalvitis: merger of the Naturalisation Board and the State Language Centre is pointless and ineffective
• Chas features an interview with an activist of the Coordination Council of NGOs Tatyana Favorska on history and activities of the organisation

Yesterday, the Prime Minister of Latvia Aigras Kalvitis has stated that the proposed merger of the Naturalisation Board and the State Language Centre is pointless and ineffective due to different functions of two institutions. As reported, the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins has proposed to restructure both institutions and merge them into one institution

Yesterday, the Prime Minister of Latvia Aigras Kalvitis has stated that the proposed merger of the Naturalisation Board and the State Language Centre is pointless and ineffective due to different functions of two institutions. As reported, the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins has proposed to restructure both institutions and merge them into one institution Vesti Segodnya

Chas features an interview with an activist of the Coordination Council of NGOs Tatyana Favorska on history and activities of the organisation. According to Ms. Favorska, the Coordination Council unites more than 40 mostly ethnic minority NGOs. Tatyana Favorska believes that the ability of different organisations to cooperate with each other is one of the main achievements of the Council.