• Saeima did not change the Law on the Status of the EU Permanent Resident
• Latvian President Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga criticizes MPs for promotion of intolerance
• Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Karina Petersone: Latvian language is a basic integration tool in Latvia
• Representatives of the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and members of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation pay a visit to Latvia

On Thursday, the Saeima did not support the draft amendments to the Law on the Status of the EU Permanent Resident developed by the pro-minority parties. The draft amendments provided that Latvian non-citizens should be granted the status without any requirements. As reported, the current version of the Law stipulates that in order to receive the status of the EU permanent resident third country nationals, including Latvian non-citizens, shall be subjected to several requirements, in particular demonstrate Latvian language skills, prove that they are permanent residents of Latvia, and pay the state fee. The President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga returned the Law back to the Saeima for its repeated revision arguing that Latvian non-citizens should not be included in one category of third country nationals as according to effective Latvian legal norms they have specific rights. However, the Saeima adopted the Law without changes.

On Thursday, the Saeima did not support the draft amendments to the Law on the Status of the EU Permanent Resident developed by the pro-minority parties. The draft amendments provided that Latvian non-citizens should be granted the status without any requirements. As reported, the current version of the Law stipulates that in order to receive the status of the EU permanent resident third country nationals, including Latvian non-citizens, shall be subjected to several requirements, in particular demonstrate Latvian language skills, prove that they are permanent residents of Latvia, and pay the state fee. The President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga returned the Law back to the Saeima for its repeated revision arguing that Latvian non-citizens should not be included in one category of third country nationals as according to effective Latvian legal norms they have specific rights. However, the Saeima adopted the Law without changes. Chas, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Avize, Diena, NRA

On Thursday, the Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga addressed MPs at the last parliamentary session. The President criticized the Saeima for several recently adopted Laws (including the Law on Status of the EU Permanent Resident) arguing that they are aimed not at integration of society, but will bring intolerance. The President stated: “there is only one Latvia, and there are no “ours” and “aliens”, no “right” or “others”… The Saeima as the authorized representative of the nation has to protect its basic values - democracy, rule of law and respect towards human rights and freedoms.”

On Thursday, the Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga addressed MPs at the last parliamentary session. The President criticized the Saeima for several recently adopted Laws (including the Law on Status of the EU Permanent Resident) arguing that they are aimed not at integration of society, but will bring intolerance. The President stated: there is only one Latvia, and there are no ours and aliens, no right or others… The Saeima as the authorized representative of the nation has to protect its basic values - democracy, rule of law and respect towards human rights and freedoms. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf, Diena, Latvijas Avize

The Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Karina Petersone in an interview with the National Radio stated that the Latvian language is the instrument of integration and consolidation of society in Latvia.

The Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Karina Petersone in an interview with the National Radio stated that the Latvian language is the instrument of integration and consolidation of society in Latvia. Chas

Representatives of the

Representatives of the EU-Russia Parliamentary Cooperation Committee and members of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation visited Latvia last week. In the framework of the visit the members of the delegation met with the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Karina Petersone to discuss the situation of ethnic minorities and integration process in Latvia. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

• Research on evaluation of corruption risks in the Naturalisation Board
• Russian Ambassador to Latvia: one of the main reasons which hinder interrelations between Latvia and Russia is non-citizenship
• Telegraf features various opinions on implementation of the education reform in minority schools.
• Chief-editor of Chas: Russian newspapers are more than just the press

The Naturalisation Board (NB) in cooperation with the NGO “Providus” and with funding of the United Kingdom Embassy to Latvia conducted an anti-corruption research on evaluation of corruption risks in the NB. The study shows that the main gaps in the work of the NB are low salaries, poorly controlled examination process, and long citizenship granting period.  

The Naturalisation Board (NB) in cooperation with the NGO Providus and with funding of the United Kingdom Embassy to Latvia conducted an anti-corruption research on evaluation of corruption risks in the NB. The study shows that the main gaps in the work of the NB are low salaries, poorly controlled examination process, and long citizenship granting period. Diena, Telegraf, Vesti Segodnya, Latvijas Vestnesis

Telegraf prints an article by the Russian Ambassador to Latvia Victor Kalyuzhniy - 15 Years of Resistance on problems in relations between Latvia and Russia. According to the Ambassador one of the main reasons which hinder development of good interrelations is a mass non-citizenship which affects a large part of Russian-speaking residents of Latvia: We cannot accept that one part of residents is discriminated and have inferior status.

Telegraf features various opinions concerning the education reform in minority schools. The director of Riga Secondary School No 72 Aleksandrs Anzulevics stated that in general students and teachers manage the reform successfully. However, Mr Anzulevs argued that focus should be on training of teachers who could teach in the Latvian language. The director of the Secondary School in the name of Lomonosova stated that the main problem is low quality of teaching and study aids for minority schools. According to the representative of the Centre for Curriculum Development and Examination, the results of the school year 2005/2006 show that the level of Latvian language proficiency skills among students has improved.

The chief-editor of the Russian language newspaper

The chief-editor of the Russian language newspaper Chas Ksenija Zavgorodska and the director of the publishing house Fenster Andrejs Kozlovs will run for the up-coming Saeima elections in one ballot list with the so called Russian party For Human Rights in United Latvia. Ksenija Zavgorodska stated: The Russian press is more than just the press. It is a political party. Thousands of people in Latvia are deprived of voting rights and the only place where they can express their opinions is Russian newspapers. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

• Concord Centre asks local pharmacy manufacturers to add instructions for use of medicine products also in Russian
• Final public discussions on the draft program for the integration of Roma in Latvia held in Riga
• Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs informs preschool children about refugees
• Delegation of the American Jewish Congress is arriving to Riga
• MP Boriss Cilevics about integration policy in Latvia

Political party “The Concord Centre” has sent an open letter to national pharmacy manufacturers and representatives of foreign manufacturers asking to provide labelling of medical products sold in Latvia also in Russian.

Political party The Concord Centre has sent an open letter to national pharmacy manufacturers and representatives of foreign manufacturers asking to provide labelling of medical products sold in Latvia also in Russian. Vesti Segodnya

The last discussions in the series of public debates on the draft national programme aimed at integration of Roma in Latvia was hold in Riga on Tuesday. Representative of the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Deniss Hanovs stated that the programme consists of three main areas: education, employment and human rights.

The last discussions in the series of public debates on the draft national programme aimed at integration of Roma in Latvia was hold in Riga on Tuesday. Representative of the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Deniss Hanovs stated that the programme consists of three main areas: education, employment and human rights. NRA

Yesterday, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in the framework of the International Refugee Day organized an awareness raising event about refugees and issues they face for children in Latvia.

Yesterday, the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs in the framework of the International Refugee Day organized an awareness raising event about refugees and issues they face for children in Latvia. NRA

Today, a delegation of the American Jewish Congress is arriving to Riga. Members of the delegation are planning to hold several meetings with representatives of the Latvian government to discuss issues concerning the Jewish community in Latvia and the Holocaust.

Today, a delegation of the American Jewish Congress is arriving to Riga. Members of the delegation are planning to hold several meetings with representatives of the Latvian government to discuss issues concerning the Jewish community in Latvia and the Holocaust. Vesti Segodnya

Chas features an article by the MP Boriss Cilevics (the Concord Centre) on integration policy in Latvia. Boriss Cilvecis considers that the Latvian government is ignoring main aspects of the European integration policy, including that state administration should reflect multicultural and multilingual situation in society.

• FF/NIM criticizes the situation with the State language in jails

Yesterday, members of the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM held a meeting with the Minister of Justice Guntars Grinvalds and with representatives of the jail administration. FF/LNIM criticized the situation with the State language in jails, because according to Guntars Grinvalds about 60% of prisoners and the majority of  staff are Russian-speakers who use Russian in their communication, despite that official communication language is Latvian. FF/LNIM also criticized the requirement set in the entry examinations of the Police Academy to have successful marks in both the Russian and in Latvian language. FF/LNIM believes that such requirement discriminates against Latvians. 

Yesterday, members of the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM held a meeting with the Minister of Justice Guntars Grinvalds and with representatives of the jail administration. FF/LNIM criticized the situation with the State language in jails, because according to Guntars Grinvalds about 60% of prisoners and the majority of staff are Russian-speakers who use Russian in their communication, despite that official communication language is Latvian. FF/LNIM also criticized the requirement set in the entry examinations of the Police Academy to have successful marks in both the Russian and in Latvian language. FF/LNIM believes that such requirement discriminates against Latvians. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

• Head of the Secretariat of the Special Assignment Secretariat for Social Integration Kristine Vagnere: improved programme on social integration will be finished in November
• NRA features an article about the implementation of the education reform in minority schools

According to the Head of the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister Kristine Vagnere, the Secretariat is working at new and improved programme on social integration in Latvia which will be forwarded the Cabinet of Ministers in November. The document is developed by a group of experts on various integration areas and represents state institutions, NGOs and independent researchers. The effective integration programme which was adopted in 2001 expires this year.

According to the Head of the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister Kristine Vagnere, the Secretariat is working at new and improved programme on social integration in Latvia which will be forwarded the Cabinet of Ministers in November. The document is developed by a group of experts on various integration areas and represents state institutions, NGOs and independent researchers. The effective integration programme which was adopted in 2001 expires this year. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

NRA features an article about the implementation of the education reform in minority schools. According to the Director of the State General Education Evaluation Agency under the of the Ministry of Education and Science Evija Papule all minority schools have submitted their first reports on the implementation of the reform. Mrs Papule reported that the provided information shows that schools have problems with material and technical resources, however, attitudes of parents, students and teachers towards the reform have improved.