• Concord Centre asked the President of Latvia Andris Berzins not to proclaim the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law
• Ministry of the Environmental Protection and Regional Development withdrew its opinion about the Law on Higher Education Establishments
• MP Raivis Dzintars calls the Russia’s Ambassador to Latvia Aleksandr Veshnyakov to apologise for denial of occupation of Latvia

 The Saeima’s faction of the Concord Centre appealed to the President of Latvia Andris Berzins asking him not to proclaim the draft amendments to the Citizenship Law adopted by the Saeima. The Concord Centre considers that the legal provisions about dual citizenship divide the world countries into “right” and “wrong” and also discriminate Latvian citizens who reside in the countries which are not listed among the „right” ones. As reported, the new draft amendments allow Latvian citizens to have dual citizenship with countries members of the EU, the European Free Trade Association, the NATO or Australia, Brazil, and New Zeeland, or countries concluded treaties on recognition of dual citizenship with Latvia. Russia, CIS countries, and Israel are not included in this list despite relatively high number of Latvians residing there. Vesti Segodnya, Neatkariga, Latvijas Avize

The Ministry of the Environmental Protection and Regional Development withdrew its opinion about the Law on Higher Education Establishments about usage of foreign languages in the study process as it does not reflect the Minister’s and the Ministry’s management’s position. As reported, the opinion prepared by the officials of the Ministry contained the idea that usage of Russian language in the study process in universities and colleges would raise their competitiveness. However, the Minister and the State Secretary of the Ministry responding to the critics about such idea stated that they were not aware that it is included in the Ministry’s opinion about the draft law. Latvijas Avize

The leader of the nationalists’ union All for Latvia!-FF/LNIM Raivis Dzintars calls the Russia’s Ambassador to Latvia Aleksandr Veshnyakov to apologise to the victims of Soviet occupation for his denial of the occupation of Latvia. In an interview to a local TV channel, the Ambassador stated: “there was no occupation of Latvia by the USSR, but there was liberation and victory over Nazi Germany.”  Vesti Segodnya

• Latvijas Avize: idea to allow to study in Russian language in state funded higher education establishments is still alive

Latvijas Avize reports that the idea to allow to usage of Russian language in study process in state funded higher education establishments is still alive. According to the newspaper, the Ministry of Education and Science elaborated draft amendments to the Law on Higher Education Establishments widening usage of only the EU official languages in the study process. But in the process of approval of the draft amendments, the Ministry of the Environmental Protection and Regional Development in its opinion mentioned that usage of Russian language in the study process in universities and colleges would raise their competitiveness. However, the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development Edmunds Sprudzs and the State Secretary of the Ministry Einars Cilinskis in an interview to the newspaper denied the fact that they support such idea and said they were not aware that it is included in the Ministry’s opinion about the draft law.

• Vesti Segodnya criticizes the Citizenship Law as it envisage that only ethnic Latvians and Lives belong to notion of a “state nation”
• Study: majority of non-citizens have accustomed to the fact that they are not Latvian citizens

Vesti Segodnya criticizes recently accepted draft amendments to the Citizenship Law as those envisage that only ethnic Latvians and Lives belong to notion of a “state nation.” According to the newspaper, such definition excludes representative of all other ethnicities residing in Latvia from the concept of state nation and divides citizens into two categories: the titular nationality and others. The newspaper also notes that the provisions about dual citizenship divide also ethnic Latvians living abroad into “right” and “wrong”, the “right” ones being only those ethnic Latvians who reside or received citizenship of countries members of the EU, the European Free Trade Association, the NATO or Australia, Brazil, and New Zeeland, or countries concluded treaties on recognition of dual citizenship with Latvia. Ethnic Latvians living in other countries can have dual citizenship only by special order of the Cabinet of Ministers.

According to a study “Opinion of the Third Country Nationals and Latvian Non-Citizens about Latvian Citizenship and Reasons which Promote or Hinder Adoption of Citizenship” conducted the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs, majority of non-citizens have considered adoption of Latvian citizenship some time ago but later refused such idea for different reasons and got accustomed to the situation. Non-citizens indicated that they do not feel any sufficient inconvenience that they are not Latvian citizens. Neatkariga

• The Saeima adopts amendments to the Citizenship Law
• Newspapers report about Victory Day celebrations in Riga

Yesterday, the Saeima adopted amendments to the Citizenship Law. The amendments grant the right to Latvian citizenship to those ethnic Latvians and Livonians (autochthonous Finno-Ugric population), who can prove their knowledge of Latvian language, as well as to those former citizens and their descendants, who escaped or were deported from Latvia and failed to restore citizenship during the 1990s. The amendments allow dual citizenship for selected countries: EU, NATO, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, as well as countries concluding treaties on recognition of dual citizenship with Latvia. MPs of the Concord Centre alleged differential approach, such as the amendments exclude Russia, Byelorussia and Israel from the dual citizenship option. The amendments also simplify bureaucratic procedure on registration of non-citizens’ children born in Latvia as Latvian citizens.

Newspapers report about the celebration of the end of the WWII or “Victory Day” on 9 May in Riga, at the Monument to Liberators from Nazi Invaders. The mayor of Riga Nils Usakovs and some diplomatic representatives, including the ambassador of Russian Aleksander Veshyakov, laid flowers to the Monument in the morning. The celebrations included on-stage performances by various folk cultural groups, and on-screen memoir interviews of the WWII veterans, as well as a concert and fireworks. Tens of thousands of people attended the event. Commentators had various opinions about the 9 May. The Chairwoman of the Saeima's Human Rights Commission, Inara Murniece (AL!-FF/LNIM) believes 9 May is one of the saddest days in Latvia's history and there is nothing to celebrate on the end of the war. Senior Consultant of the parliamentary group AL!-FF/LNIM Janis Iesalnieks believes hundreds of thousands of Latvian residents are hostile to Latvia and therefore, the war is not over. Guntis Belevics (Green Party) stated that those who believe the war is not over yet could use the services of a psychiatric clinic, which also hosts alive Napoleon. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga, Vesti Segodnya 

• Draft amendments forbidding usage of totalitarian symbolic foresee some exceptions
• President of Latvia Andris Berzins and other high officials and war veterans took part in event commemorating the end of WWII
• Interview with an academic and researcher Deniss Hanovs about ethnic relations in Latvia
• Historian Ritvars Jansons: 9 May means beginning of occupation for Latvia

Saeima’s Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee supported the draft amendments to the Law "On the Security of Public Entertainment and Festive Events” forbidding usage of the USSR and Nazi flags, blazons, anthems, uniform and other symbols during the public events. However, the draft amendments contains exceptional cases – usage of such symbols is allowed if it does not aim at glorification or justification of the crimes committed by these regimes. The MP Boriss Cilevics criticizes such amendments as those are confusing in terms of interpreting the exception cases. The draft amendments will pass to the Saeima for the second reading. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

Yesterday, the President of Latvia Andris Berzins, high state officials, MPs and representatives of foreign diplomatic corps took part in event commemorating the end of WWII and its victims. War veterans – Red Army veterans and some Latvian legionnaires also took part in the event. After the event, the President admitted that the process of reconciliation of war veterans develops well and it is good that many of them understand that we all live in one country with one common future. Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize prints an interview with an academic and researcher Deniss Hanovs about ethnic relations in Latvia. Mr Hanovs worries about growing instability in the society due to interethnic relations. According to Mr Hanovs, expression of hatred increases in the online space as people show their fears and hate louder and there is danger that it will continue to escalate. Mr Hanovs criticizes the establishment of the Congress of Non-Citizens as it just creates illusions about solution of the problem of non-citizenship. Mr Hanovs criticizes the integration program created under supervision of the ex-Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte calling this program as a document which raises self-confidence of ethnic Latvians rather than aimed at integration of non-Latvians.

Neatkariga prints an interview with historian and substitute director of the Museum of Occupation Ritvars Jansons about the meaning of 9 May or Victory Day to Latvia. According to Mr Jansosns, part of ethnic Latvians will never accept this day as a celebration because it brought occupation to Latvia. Mr Jansons argues about repressions and terror against ethnic Latvians accompanied by Soviet occupation.