• Planned consolidation of the Peoples Harmony Party and the New Centre

Newspapers report on announcements made by two left wing parties - the People’s Harmony Party and the New Centre – about their merging. The decision about consolidation could be made during the parties’ congresses today.

Newspapers report on announcements made by two left wing parties - the Peoples Harmony Party and the New Centre – about their merging. The decision about consolidation could be made during the parties congresses today. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Chas

• Situation of the Russian language in Latvia
• National Programme on Latvian Language Training accounts for its last year activities

Chas prints an article about the situation of the Russian language in Latvia. The author of the article is concerned that the language of Russians living in Latvia contains more and more individual words and expressions in Latvian. Linguist Tatyana Liguta believes that the only solution is to increase the number of Russian language classes at school. However, she believes that the situation of the Russian language in Latvia is better than in the neighbouring countries Lithuania and Estonia. According to Ms Liguta Russian is not a popular language in Lithuania and Russians themselves send their children to Lithuanian schools, while in comparison to Estonia the environment of the Russian language is stronger and more widespread in Latvia.

Vesti Segodnya reports that yesterday the National Programme on the Latvian Language Training accounted for its last year activities. In the framework of the Programme 7,856 people attended Latvian language courses in 2004. The Programmes total budget was LVL 999,360 (EUR 1,430,927), including LVL 391,685 (EUR 560,832) from the state budget, LVL 486,552 (EUR 696,666) from various European Funds, LVL 111,123 (EUR 159,110) – from the UN and LVL 10,000 (EUR 14,318) was donated by the bank Parex.

• Liepaja municipality refuses to take part in the project about refugees in fears of future influx of refugees
• Delegation of Jews from the USA visits Latvia
• Riga Council official about protests against the minority education reform
• Latvia's representatives in the OSCEs session

Vesti Segodnya reports that for the first time Latvia has launched implementation of a comprehensive project on refugees. The project is funded by the EU and the total funding amounts to about LVL 350,000 (EUR 501,145). According to the newspaper LVL 120,000 (EUR 171,821) will be allotted to municipalities that will volunteer to receive training about issues concerning refugees. The newspaper reports that just before the project should be implemented the Liepaja municipality refused the possibility to participate in the project because ‘it may serve as a reason for channelling future refugees to those places where training has been held. The Head of the Department on Refugee Affairs of the Citizenship and Migration Affairs Office Baiba Beza believes that the Liepaja Municipality made a legally incorrect step when refused to take part in the project.

The delegation of Jews from the USA visited Latvia and held a number of meetings with the Latvian President, politicians and members of local Jewish community. The delegation was interested in the life of Jews in Latvia, possibilities to develop their culture, access to education and society’s attitudes to the past events.

The delegation of Jews from the USA visited Latvia and held a number of meetings with the Latvian President, politicians and members of local Jewish community. The delegation was interested in the life of Jews in Latvia, possibilities to develop their culture, access to education and societys attitudes to the past events. Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize interviews Andris Argalis (The Peoples Party), Vice Mayor of the Riga City Council and Head of the Committee dealing with security and public order issues. When asked whether ‘scandals [protest actions against the implementation of the minority education reform] held at the Rainis monument should be stopped, Mr Argalis says ‘definitely and argues that protests against the minority education reform were facilitated by the social democrats when they were the ruling party in the Council. According to Mr Argalis it will be difficult to change something and tension in society will only continue to grow.

Latvijas Avize reports about the session of the OSCE. The newspaper says that Latvian MP Andrejs Klementjevs took floor to reproach Latvia in not giving its non-citizens the right to participate in municipal elections. While other representatives from Latvia stressed that this time they had very constructive dialogues with members of the Russian delegation. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

• Number of naturalisation applicants continues to grow
• Number of ruling coalition MPs express their concern about persecution of two journalists of the national radical newspaper
• Interview with the leader of the National Democrats
• Nils Muiznieks about the project ‘Personalities in Latvias Democracy

Vesti Segodnya reports that yesterday record number of Latvian residents – 566 - was granted Latvian citizenship. According to the data of the Naturalisation Board the number of people who want to receive Latvian citizenship is continuously growing. This year already 11,000 Latvian non-citizens have received Latvian citizenship, while last year the total number of people who naturalised were 16,000.

Vesti Segodnya reports on the case of two journalists Liga Muzikante and Ilze Liepa whoare accused in incitement to national hatred. As reported the two journalists published an article in the national radical newspaper DDD that contained anti-Semitic statements. Vesti Segodnya reports that the preliminary investigation by the General Prosecutors Office has been closed and it files both journalists with charges for incitement of national hatred. This week the case has been forwarded to the Riga District Court (Rigas Apagabaltiesa). According to the newspaper, a number of ruling coalition MPs – Leopolds Ozolins and Arvids Ulme (The Union of the Greens and the Farmers), Peteris Tabuns, Maris Grinblats and Imants Kalnins (FF/LNIM) have sent a letter to the General Prosecutor Janis Maizitis expressing their incomprehension and concern about persecution of journalists as it poses threats to the freedom of speech.

Vesti Segodnya interviews the leader of the National Democrats Jevgenijs Osipovs. The main goal of Jevgenijs Osipovs is to raise self-awareness of Russians so their views are considered not only in the Baltic States but also in the world. He claims that his organisation stands for democracy, however, for all people in Latvia irrespectively of their ethnicities. He believes that now Russians have been discriminated against and blames ‘political correctness of Russians in that. He argues that the [Russian] people are escaping from discrimination through total passiveness and ‘only loud actions can wake them up.

Former social integration minister Nils Muiznieks talks about the implementation of the project Personalities in Latvia’s Democracy. The main goal of the project is to recognise those individuals who have contributed to the development of democracy in Latvia. Nils Muiznieks believes that the project will also help the Russian people to realise closer ties with Latvia.

Former social integration minister Nils Muiznieks talks about the implementation of the project Personalities in Latvias Democracy. The main goal of the project is to recognise those individuals who have contributed to the development of democracy in Latvia. Nils Muiznieks believes that the project will also help the Russian people to realise closer ties with Latvia.

• Commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust took place yesterday
• Politicians about mass media
• Naturalisation procedures in other countries

Yesterday a commemorative event of the victims of the Holocaust was held on Gogola Street where a Jewish synagogue was burned down during World War II. Representatives of the Jewish community, the President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the Social Integration Affairs Minister Ainars Latkovskis, the Riga Mayor Aivars Aksenoks, MPs and representatives of foreign embassies participated in the event.  On behalf of Latvia, the President expressed her deepest sympathy to and solidarity with the Jewish nation for its sufferings and stressed that Latvia is determined to make sure that such things would never happen again.

Yesterday a commemorative event of the victims of the Holocaust was held on Gogola Street where a Jewish synagogue was burned down during World War II. Representatives of the Jewish community, the President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, the Social Integration Affairs Minister Ainars Latkovskis, the Riga Mayor Aivars Aksenoks, MPs and representatives of foreign embassies participated in the event. On behalf of Latvia, the President expressed her deepest sympathy to and solidarity with the Jewish nation for its sufferings and stressed that Latvia is determined to make sure that such things would never happen again. Latvijas Vestnesis, Diena, Latvijas Avize, Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Telegraf asks a number of politicians about their attitude towards mass media. Some of the politicians surveyed such as Tatyana Zdanok (FHRUL), Karlis Sadurskis (The New Era), Yakovs Pliners (FHRUL), note that there are differences between the Latvian and Russian press. Tatyana Zdanok states that there are Latvian newspapers, in particular Latvijas Avize, which has never asked her opinion, however, has spoken on her behalf on a number of occasions. While Karlis Sadurskis notes that he loves mass media, especially the Russian language press because ‘it has promoted his activities as nobody else.

In the response to the announcement that amendments to the Citizenship Law are under development,

In the response to the announcement that amendments to the Citizenship Law are under development, Latvijas Avize prints information about naturalisation procedures and requirements in other European countries.