• Ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs Janis Jurkans: in reality Latvian politicians do nothing for integration of society

Ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs Janis Jurkans in an interview to

Ex-Minister of Foreign Affairs Janis Jurkans in an interview to Telegraf states that in reality Latvian politicians do nothing for integration of society because for them it is better to live in two-community state using method divide and rule. Mr. Jurkans also believes that the Concord Centre will not form the governing coalition despite that it most probably will win the Saeimas elections because ethnic Latvian parties will not be ready to share the power.

• Merger of the Naturalisation Board and the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs will be realised without amending the Citizenship Law
• National radicals want to receive LVL 4,000,000 and public apologies from the Security Police and the General Prosecutors Office
• State Language Centre actively inspects state language proficiency of municipal deputies

Merger of the Naturalisation Board (NB) and the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (OCMA) will be realised without amending the Citizenship Law. According to the Ministry of Interior, there will be no need to amend the Citizenship Law if the NB becomes a structural unit of the OCMA with the same title. As reported, opening the Citizenship Law to amendments could provoke aggressive ethnic rhetoric and submissions of numerous draft amendments by nationalistic and pro-Russian parties.Vesti Segodnya, Diena

National radical Aivars Garda and editors of his newspaper DDD Ilze Liepa and Liga Muzikante claim for compensation in amount of LVL 4,000,000 (EUR 5,691,487) and public apologies from the Security Police and the General Prosecutors Office for initiation of two criminal cases against them. As reported, the national radicals were charged for statements inciting to ethnic hatred in several articles published in DDD in 2004 and 2005 but later acquitted. According to Aivars Garda, the money will be spent on liberation of ethnic Latvian nation from Soviet colonists. Vesti Segodnya

Vesti Segodnya reports that the State Language Centre (SLC) actively inspects state language proficiency of municipal deputies. The inspectors already punished several deputies of the Rezekne and Daugavplis City Councils and planning to check language proficiency of deputies in Jekabplis, Liepaja and Riga. According to the chief of the SLC Language Control Department Antons Kursitis, the inspectors choose deputies for inspection following complaints received from residents.

• Latvijas Avize prints an interview with the Ombudsman Romans Apsitis

Latvijas Avize prints an interview with the Ombudsman Romans Apsitis. According to the Ombudsman, funding for next year for the Ombudsmans Office will be LVL 558,901 (EUR 795,244), or 57% less than in 2009. Due to the cut of funding the Ombudsman will be forced to decrease number of employed lawyers and renounce various working plans for 2010.

• National Security Committee did not support the draft amendments to the Immigration Law which stipulated Latvias temporary residency permits for foreign investors

The Saeima’s Committee on Defence, Interior and Corruption did not support the draft amendments to the Immigration Law which stipulated granting Latvia’s temporary residency permits for foreign investors. Member of the Committee, MP Karlis Sadurskis (Civic Union) does not support idea to grant residency permits to foreigners who possess real estate in Latvia because there are no differences in tax payment whether the real estate owner is foreigner or Latvian citizen. But if a foreigner will bring to Latvia his family members they all must be granted social benefits. At the same Mr. Sadurskis supports the proposal to grant residency permit for foreigners who make investments in Latvian economy but in amount much higher than LVL 10,000 (EUR 14,228). As reported, the proposed draft amendments to the Immigration Law stipulated that foreigners who bought real estate in Latvia for more than LVL 50,000 (EUR 71,143) or invested not less than LVL 10,000 (EUR 14,228) in basic capital of enterprises and ensured at least three vacancies have the right to receive residency permit for 5 years in Latvia.

The Saeimas Committee on Defence, Interior and Corruption did not support the draft amendments to the Immigration Law which stipulated granting Latvias temporary residency permits for foreign investors. Member of the Committee, MP Karlis Sadurskis (Civic Union) does not support idea to grant residency permits to foreigners who possess real estate in Latvia because there are no differences in tax payment whether the real estate owner is foreigner or Latvian citizen. But if a foreigner will bring to Latvia his family members they all must be granted social benefits. At the same Mr. Sadurskis supports the proposal to grant residency permit for foreigners who make investments in Latvian economy but in amount much higher than LVL 10,000 (EUR 14,228). As reported, the proposed draft amendments to the Immigration Law stipulated that foreigners who bought real estate in Latvia for more than LVL 50,000 (EUR 71,143) or invested not less than LVL 10,000 (EUR 14,228) in basic capital of enterprises and ensured at least three vacancies have the right to receive residency permit for 5 years in Latvia. Telegraf

• Rectors of the biggest Latvian universities call to stop monopoly of Latvian language in state higher education establishments
• Adoption of the state budget for 2010 most probably will be accompanied by aggressive ethnic rhetoric because the Citizenship Law will have to be amended
• Number of working permits issued in 2009 to guest workers decreased significantly

Rectors of the biggest Latvian universities call to stop monopoly of Latvian language in state higher education establishments. Rector of the University of Latvia Marcis Auzins believes that the Latvian State Language Law became an “iron curtain” which hinders development of the country as a whole and higher education in particularly. Mr. Auzins   considers that studies in Russian language would attract many students from former Soviet Union republics who speak Russian. Mr. Auzins also criticizes requirement for highest level of state language proficiency for candidates for the post of the professor of the university because it hinders attraction of foreign professors for permanent work in Latvia. According the rector of the Stradina University Jans Gardovskis, it is absurd that local students can receive education in state higher education establishments only in Latvian language. Mr. Gardovskis believes that the university could gain good income if local students who want to study in Russian in paid groups would have such chance.

Rectors of the biggest Latvian universities call to stop monopoly of Latvian language in state higher education establishments. Rector of the University of Latvia Marcis Auzins believes that the Latvian State Language Law became an iron curtain which hinders development of the country as a whole and higher education in particularly. Mr. Auzins considers that studies in Russian language would attract many students from former Soviet Union republics who speak Russian. Mr. Auzins also criticizes requirement for highest level of state language proficiency for candidates for the post of the professor of the university because it hinders attraction of foreign professors for permanent work in Latvia. According the rector of the Stradina University Jans Gardovskis, it is absurd that local students can receive education in state higher education establishments only in Latvian language. Mr. Gardovskis believes that the university could gain good income if local students who want to study in Russian in paid groups would have such chance. Vesti Segodnya

According to the newspapers, adoption of the state budget for 2010 most probably will be accompanied by aggressive ethnic rhetoric because the Citizenship Law will have to be amended in order to reorganise the Naturalisation Board. The Citizenship Law has not been amended since 1998. Representatives of the Saeima’s Latvian nationalistic party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM and so-called “pro-Russian” parties For Human Rights in United Latvia and the Concord Centre interviewed by the newspapers stated that probably they will prepare various amendments to the citizenship law and submit them for revision in the Saeima.

According to the newspapers, adoption of the state budget for 2010 most probably will be accompanied by aggressive ethnic rhetoric because the Citizenship Law will have to be amended in order to reorganise the Naturalisation Board. The Citizenship Law has not been amended since 1998. Representatives of the Saeimas Latvian nationalistic party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM and so-called pro-Russian parties For Human Rights in United Latvia and the Concord Centre interviewed by the newspapers stated that probably they will prepare various amendments to the citizenship law and submit them for revision in the Saeima. Telegraf, Diena, NRA

Number of working permits issued to guest workers in Latvia in 2009 decreased almost three times comparing to 2008 and 2007. 993 working permits were issued during 9 months of 2009 as compared to 3113 permits issued in 2007. According to a representative of the State Employment Agency, the main reason for little demand for guest workers is hard economical situation in the country and decrease in manufacturing and services sectors.

Number of working permits issued to guest workers in Latvia in 2009 decreased almost three times comparing to 2008 and 2007. 993 working permits were issued during 9 months of 2009 as compared to 3113 permits issued in 2007. According to a representative of the State Employment Agency, the main reason for little demand for guest workers is hard economical situation in the country and decrease in manufacturing and services sectors. Telegraf