• Leader of the nationalists party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM Roberts Zile: ethnic Latvian parties should unite
• Round table discussion Days of Russian Culture in Latvia: past and future held in Riga

According to the leader of the nationalists’ party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM Roberts Zile, if ethnic Latvian parties do not unite they will lose Riga as the capital of Latvia and Latvian nation. Mr. Zile believes that ethnic Latvian parties should establish one common list to run for the next municipal elections.

According to the leader of the nationalists party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM Roberts Zile, if ethnic Latvian parties do not unite they will lose Riga as the capital of Latvia and Latvian nation. Mr. Zile believes that ethnic Latvian parties should establish one common list to run for the next municipal elections. Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Neatkariga

Vesti Segodnya reports about a round table discussion Days of Russian Culture in Latvia: past and future held in Riga. Participants of the discussion consider that Russian NGOs should become more united in order to organise Days of Russian Culture in Latvia on a high level.

• Latvian Human Rights Committee presented its report on human rights situation in Latvia
• Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte: multiculturalism as a model of state ideology is invalid for Latvia
• Nationalist MP will ask the Security Police to check whether the MP Valerijs Kravcovs received citizenship legally

The Latvian Human Rights Committee presented its report on human rights situation in Latvia edited by ex-MP Vladimirs Buzajevs. The report stresses ethnic minorities’ situation and problems in Latvia. The report includes data about language inspections, ethnic demographic and employment data and other. According to the report, during the last 20 years the number of ethnic Russians in Latvia decreased by 32%, while the number of ethnic Latvians decreased by 4%; the birth rate among ethnic Russians is 25% lower and the death rate is 17% higher than among ethnic Latvians.

The Latvian Human Rights Committee presented its report on human rights situation in Latvia edited by ex-MP Vladimirs Buzajevs. The report stresses ethnic minorities situation and problems in Latvia. The report includes data about language inspections, ethnic demographic and employment data and other. According to the report, during the last 20 years the number of ethnic Russians in Latvia decreased by 32%, while the number of ethnic Latvians decreased by 4%; the birth rate among ethnic Russians is 25% lower and the death rate is 17% higher than among ethnic Latvians. Vesti Segodnya

The Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte in an interview with

The Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte in an interview with Latvijas Avize states that ethnic integration in Latvia should be based on Latvian language and comprehension of ethnic Latvian culture and common understanding of history. Mrs. Elerte believes that multiculturalism as a model of state ideology is invalid for Latvia because Latvia is a national state. As reported, the government decided to assign society integration functions from the Ministry of Justice to the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Interior.

The MP Visvaldis Lacis (nationalists’ union All for Latvia!/FF/LNIM) is planning to ask the Security Police to check whether the MP Valerijs Kravcovs (Concord Centre) received citizenship legally. According to newspapers, Mr. Kravcovs went trough naturalisation procedure in Valmiera (city in the Northern part of Latvia) in the time when this Naturalisation Board’s branch was headed by a person later convicted of corruption.

The MP Visvaldis Lacis (nationalists union All for Latvia!/FF/LNIM) is planning to ask the Security Police to check whether the MP Valerijs Kravcovs (Concord Centre) received citizenship legally. According to newspapers, Mr. Kravcovs went trough naturalisation procedure in Valmiera (city in the Northern part of Latvia) in the time when this Naturalisation Boards branch was headed by a person later convicted of corruption. Latvijas Avize, Diena

• State Language Centre wants to check state language proficiency certificates of the MPs
• Head of the Riga Office of the International Organisation for Migration Ilmars Mezs: Latvians are not ready to integrate new immigrants yet
• Head of the Control Department of the State Language Centre Antons Kursitis: ethnic Latvians face linguistic discrimination in Latvia

The State Language Centre (SLC) sent a letter to the Saeimas Committee on Ethics, Mandates and Submissions asking it to ensure that those MPs who graduated non-Latvian schools present their state language proficiency certificates. The SLCs inspectors want to check the level of language proficiency of deputies and whether their certificates are authentic. Latvijas Avize

Diena prints an article about migrants and their integration in Europe. According to the head of the Riga Office of the International Organisation for Migration Ilmars Mezs, Latvians are not ready to integrate new immigrants yet because the state does not request for obligatory Latvian language proficiency and does not provide its learning. Mr. Mezs believes that it is important to promote diversity of immigrants groups and achieve that Latvians language is common communication language.

Neatkariga prints an interview with the head of the Control Department of the State Language Centre Antons Kursitis. Mr. Kursitis believes that ethnic Latvians face linguistic discrimination in Latvia because are requested for Russian language proficiency in majority of domestic enterprises, especially in large cities. According to Mr. Kursitis, number of complaints about violations of the State Language Law sufficiently grew during the past years.

• More than 100 graves got desecrated in the Riga Jewish cemetery
• MP Valerijs Kravcovs is planning to leave the parliamentary Citizenship Law Implementation Committee

Newspapers reports that more than 100 graves got desecrated in the Riga Jewish cemetery.  Unknown persons painted white swastikas on gravestones. The police initiated criminal proceedings according to article 78 – incitement to ethnic hatred and article 228 desecration of a grave. Latvian high officials, including the President, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Mayor of Riga, strongly condemned the incident.

Newspapers reports that more than 100 graves got desecrated in the Riga Jewish cemetery. Unknown persons painted white swastikas on gravestones. The police initiated criminal proceedings according to article 78 – incitement to ethnic hatred and article 228 desecration of a grave. Latvian high officials, including the President, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Mayor of Riga, strongly condemned the incident. Telegraf, Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga

The MP Valerijs Kravcovs (the Concord Centre) is planning to leave the parliamentary Citizenship Law Implementation Committee arguing that he does not see sense of working in it and does not want to work under the Committee’s head Visvaldis Lacis (ex-Waffen SS legionnaire and member of the nationalists union All for Latvia/For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM). According to the newspapers, inspectors of the State Language Centre’s are monitoring Mr. Kravcovs, who’s Latvian language proficiency is allegedly poor. The head of the Committee Mr. Lacis also wanted to test Mr. Kravcovs’ language proficiency and requested all members of the Committee to present themselves and was dissatisfied with the fact that Mr. Kravcovs said only few words.

The MP Valerijs Kravcovs (the Concord Centre) is planning to leave the parliamentary Citizenship Law Implementation Committee arguing that he does not see sense of working in it and does not want to work under the Committees head Visvaldis Lacis (ex-Waffen SS legionnaire and member of the nationalists union All for Latvia/For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM). According to the newspapers, inspectors of the State Language Centres are monitoring Mr. Kravcovs, whos Latvian language proficiency is allegedly poor. The head of the Committee Mr. Lacis also wanted to test Mr. Kravcovs language proficiency and requested all members of the Committee to present themselves and was dissatisfied with the fact that Mr. Kravcovs said only few words. Diena, Latvijas Avize

• Society integration functions are assigned to the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Interior

Yesterday, the government decided to assign society integration functions from the Ministry of Justice to the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Interior. The Ministry of Culture starting from the next year will be responsible for elaboration of state integration policy, organisation of its implementation and coordination. The Ministry of Interior, in its turn, starting from 1 June 2011, will take over elaboration and implementation of immigrants’ integration policy and will supervise the European Fund for Integration of Third Country Nationals.

Yesterday, the government decided to assign society integration functions from the Ministry of Justice to the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Interior. The Ministry of Culture starting from the next year will be responsible for elaboration of state integration policy, organisation of its implementation and coordination. The Ministry of Interior, in its turn, starting from 1 June 2011, will take over elaboration and implementation of immigrants integration policy and will supervise the European Fund for Integration of Third Country Nationals. Latvijas Avize