• 10,000 signatures collected for granting official status to Russian language
• ECRI is preparing the 4th report about Latvia
• Minister of Foreign Affairs Girts Valdis Kristovskis: Latvia is considering potential for accommodation of refugees
• Chas interviews political scientist Ilga Kreituse about integration policy in Latvia.

Initiators of the collection of signatures for referendum on granting Russian language status of official in Latvia informed that they already collected 10,000 signatures required to start the state funded collection of signatures. However, they will submit the signatures to the Central Electoral Committee in the end of the summer so that state funded collection of signatures to be conducted in September because the during the summer time people are not so active.

Initiators of the collection of signatures for referendum on granting Russian language status of official in Latvia informed that they already collected 10,000 signatures required to start the state funded collection of signatures. However, they will submit the signatures to the Central Electoral Committee in the end of the summer so that state funded collection of signatures to be conducted in September because the during the summer time people are not so active. Latvijas Avize

Latvijas Avize reports that the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance of the Council of Europe (ECRI) is preparing the 4th report about Latvia. The draft report will be sent to Latvia in the middle or the end of the summer.

Yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Girts Valdis Kristovskis stated that Latvia is considering potential for accommodation of refugees from Libya and Tunisia. According to the Minister there were no demands to Latvia regarding this issue yet.

Yesterday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Girts Valdis Kristovskis stated that Latvia is considering potential for accommodation of refugees from Libya and Tunisia. According to the Minister there were no demands to Latvia regarding this issue yet. Telegraf

Chas interviews political scientist Ilga Kreituse about integration policy in Latvia. Mrs Kreituse believes that the draft integration program proposed by the Ministry of Culture is based on American model of integration and will not be effective in Latvian conditions. Mrs Kreituse believes that Latvian residents are not divided on ethnic lines because from the one side there are ethnic Latvians but from the other some kind of Soviet nation. According to Mrs Kreituse, the factors which unite ethnic minorities in Latvia in one group are that ethnic Latvians view at the majority of them, including Ukrainians and Belorussians, as at Russian speakers and call residents who arrived to Latvia during Soviet times and their descendants occupants.

• Diena prints an article about Armenians in Latvia
• Jevgenijs Osipovs: if Russian becomes official in Latvia the society will be more open, tolerant, free and wise

Diena starts to publish series of articles about integration process in Latvia in the eyes of the most active representatives of ethnic minorities. Today the newspaper prints an article about Armenians in Latvia. According to the head of the Armenian Cultural Centre Rafi Haradzanjans, word immigrant is too many times mentioned in the new draft integration program elaborated by the Ministry of Culture and it can offend people. Mr Haradzanjans also is concerned that the draft integration program stipulates that only ethnic communities which understand state policy will be granted support. Mr Haradzanjans believes that ethnic minorities should display biggest interest in integration process but also ethnic Latvians should make a step towards minorities.

One of the initiators of the collection of signatures for granting Russian the status of official language, leader of the Osipovs’ Party Jevgenijs Osipovs in an interview with

One of the initiators of the collection of signatures for granting Russian the status of official language, leader of the Osipovs Party Jevgenijs Osipovs in an interview with Chas states that if Russian becomes official in Latvia the society will be more open, tolerant, free and wise. Mr Osipovs also states that present activities in support of Russian language got fostered by activities of Latvian nationalists against the education in Russian.

• Collection of signatures in support of transition of all state funded schools only into Latvian language might be conducted together with another collection of signatures on social issues

Vesti Segodnya reports that the Central Election Commission might conduct collection of signatures in support of transition of all state funded schools only into Latvian language together with another collection of signatures on social issues in order to save funds. The nationalists party All for Latvia!- For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM welcomes such proposal believing that it will attract more people to give their signatures. In the meantime, the Concord Centre objects against conducting both collections of signatures together considering that those are two completely different issues which cannot be united.

• Member of the Sub-committee on Rights of Minorities of the PACE Boriss Cilevics criticizes the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte
• Book Sentenced by Nazism recently released in Latvia

Member of the Sub-committee on Rights of Minorities of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), MP Boriss Cilevics criticizes the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte for distortion of basic principles of the Framework Convention for National Minorities and disinformation of Latvian residents. Commenting recent statements made by the Minister about the implementation of norms of the Convention concerning ethnic minority languages in Latvia, Mr Cilevics says that the Minister does not understand the modern system of human rights protection. According to Mr Cilevics, conscientious implementation of the norms of the Framework Convention in many European countries which have only one state language helped to ensure civil peace and stability and to find optimal compromise between interests of the majority and linguistic minorities. According to Mr Cilevics, norms of the Convention have no relations with the status of official or state language.

Member of the Sub-committee on Rights of Minorities of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), MP Boriss Cilevics criticizes the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte for distortion of basic principles of the Framework Convention for National Minorities and disinformation of Latvian residents. Commenting recent statements made by the Minister about the implementation of norms of the Convention concerning ethnic minority languages in Latvia, Mr Cilevics says that the Minister does not understand the modern system of human rights protection. According to Mr Cilevics, conscientious implementation of the norms of the Framework Convention in many European countries which have only one state language helped to ensure civil peace and stability and to find optimal compromise between interests of the majority and linguistic minorities. According to Mr Cilevics, norms of the Convention have no relations with the status of official or state language. Chas

Chas and Vesti Segodnya reports about book Sentenced by Nazism recently released in Latvia. The book contains historical documents and witnesses accounts about Nazi crimes in Latvia and research on the concentration camp in Salaspils.

• Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte does not support recommendation of the Council of Europe to accompany topographic signs in ethnic minority languages
• Riga City Council opened a tender for provision of Latvian language courses for ethnic non-Latvians
• Latgalian NGO activist argues for official status to Latgalian language

The Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte does not support recommendation of the Council of Europe to accompany topographic signs in Latvia in ethnic minority languages in the regions of their compact residence. The Minister believes that adoption of such norm would strengthen Russian language as second state language and would contradict the necessity to strengthen and protect Latvian language. 

The Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte does not support recommendation of the Council of Europe to accompany topographic signs in Latvia in ethnic minority languages in the regions of their compact residence. The Minister believes that adoption of such norm would strengthen Russian language as second state language and would contradict the necessity to strengthen and protect Latvian language. Chas, Vesti Segodnya

The Riga City Council opened a tender for provision of Latvian language courses for ethnic non-Latvian residents of Riga. Thus, the City Council wants to promote expansion of Latvian language environment and more successful inclusion of residents in the city life.

The Riga City Council opened a tender for provision of Latvian language courses for ethnic non-Latvian residents of Riga. Thus, the City Council wants to promote expansion of Latvian language environment and more successful inclusion of residents in the city life. Telegraf

Latvijas Avize publishes opinion of Latgalian culture NGO activist. According to the author, the 1st Latgalian congress in 1917 envisaged Latvia as a bilingual country and two languages should have official status: Latvian and Latgalian. The author believes representatives of other ethnicities are mere guests and he opposes any rights to Russian language in Latvia. He also states that Latgalians for many centuries suffered Russification and begun struggle against Russians in the XII century AD, while the Russian presence in Latvia is the result of occupation.