• Latvijas Avize discusses the necessity to involve guest workers in Latvian labour market

Latvijas Avize reports on the call of the Employers Confederation of Latvia to launch a campaign on the popularisation of Latvian labour market in other EU states due to the shortage of domestic labour force. According to the information of the State Employment Agency (SEA), during the first seven months of this year the number of guest workers employed in Latvia has increased approximately four times in comparison with the same period last year. Statistics shows that 1370 work invitations have been approved by the SEA to citizens of third countries this year. Most of them are coming from the Ukraine, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Russia, Armenia and Turkey.

• Russias Embassy to Latvia has established a coordinative council with an aim to help Russians who live in Latvia

The Russia’s Embassy to Latvia has established a coordinative council with an aim to help Russians who live in Latvia. The council will be engaged in issues concerning Russian culture, education of young people and support of WWII veterans.

The Russias Embassy to Latvia has established a coordinative council with an aim to help Russians who live in Latvia. The council will be engaged in issues concerning Russian culture, education of young people and support of WWII veterans. Diena

• Employers Confederation of Latvia has asked the government to launch a campaign on popularisation of Latvian labour market abroad
• Russian Community of Latvia and the Latvian association of small and middle-sized enterprises Kalve have signed a co-operation agreement

The Employers’ Confederation of Latvia has asked the government to launch a campaign on popularisation of Latvian labour market abroad due to the luck of domestic labour force.

The Employers Confederation of Latvia has asked the government to launch a campaign on popularisation of Latvian labour market abroad due to the luck of domestic labour force. Telegraf,Vesti Segodnya

Chas reports that an NGO Russian Community of Latvia and the Latvian association of small and middle-sized enterprises Kalve have signed a co-operation agreement. The agreement stipulates exchange of information and mutual support.

• European Commission criticizes Latvia for incomplete transposition of the EU Racial Equality Directive
• Belorussian guest worker detained for an attack and robbery of a taxi-driver in Riga
• Latvijas Avize features an interview with the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins
• Latvian Antifascist Committee and Estonian NGO Night Watch have agreed on co-operation

Telegraf reports that the European Commission (EC) has reminded Latvia about the need to fully transpose norms of the EU Racial Equality Directive into the national legal acts. According to the EC, ethnicity is not mentioned among various kinds of discrimination grounds prohibited by the Latvian Social Insurance Law. However, the Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration in a reply to the EC, which was approved by the government yesterday, has stated that the Law stipulates prohibition not only of specific grounds of discrimination (such as gender, age, health) but also discrimination based on other not mentioned grounds.

Newspapers report that a Belorussian guest worker was detained for an attack and robbery of a taxi-driver in Riga.

Newspapers report that a Belorussian guest worker was detained for an attack and robbery of a taxi-driver in Riga. Chas claims that due to the luck of effective national policy concerning foreign labour force in Latvia, influx of guest workers is not controlled enough. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins (For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM). As reported, the Minister proposes to merge the Naturalisation Board and the State Language Centre into one institution. Gaidis Berzins considers that merger of two institutions would help to save resources and to make their work for effective. The Minister believes that new institution has to put its accent on state language because state language and citizenship are inseparable issues.

Latvijas Avize reports that members of the Latvian Antifascist Committee and Estonian NGO Night Watch have agreed on co-operation. According to a representative of Night Watch, both organisations are planning to hold various activities and events against expansion of neo-Nazi and Russophobic ideology in Latvia and Estonia.

• Chas features an interview with the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Oskars Kastens on elaboration of a new national integration program
• Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins does not support a proposal to celebrate the Day of Citizen on 3 August
• Radical political organisations are planning to hold Russian March on 8 September in the centre of Riga
• Company Rigas Satiksme is planning to attract guest workers

Chas features an interview with the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Oskars Kastens on elaboration of a new national integration program. According to the Minister, new program has two priorities: strengthening of democracy and civil society and formation of inclusive society. Draft concept of the program includes issues concerning migration of labour force; maintenance of ties with Latvian residents who have emigrated to United Kingdom and Ireland in search for a job; support of ethnic minorities; and other issues. Public debates on the draft concept will be launched in September, while the Cabinet of Ministers will review it in the beginning of 2008.

The Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins does not support a proposal to celebrate the Day of Citizen on 3 August. As reported, the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Oskars Kastens has proposed to celebrate the Day of Citizen on 3 August - the day when the Cabinet of Ministers approved granting Latvian citizenship to first 103 persons who have gone through naturalisation procedure in 1995. However, Gaidis Berzins believes that this day has symbolic meaning not for all Latvian citizens but only for naturalised citizens, therefore, it might split the society even more.

The Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins does not support a proposal to celebrate the Day of Citizen on 3 August. As reported, the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Oskars Kastens has proposed to celebrate the Day of Citizen on 3 August - the day when the Cabinet of Ministers approved granting Latvian citizenship to first 103 persons who have gone through naturalisation procedure in 1995. However, Gaidis Berzins believes that this day has symbolic meaning not for all Latvian citizens but only for naturalised citizens, therefore, it might split the society even more. Chas, Telegraf, Diena

Radical political organisations Latvian National Democratic Party (LNDP) and Russian national union “Motherland” are planning to hold “Russian March” on 8 September in the centre of Riga. According to the leader of the LNDP Jevgenijs Osipovs, aim of the action is to raise self- consciousness of Russian residents of Latvia. Main slogans of the action are: “Citizenship and Voting Rights to All”, “Russian Education for Russians”, “This is Our Country ”, “Official Status for Russian Language” and other.

Radical political organisations Latvian National Democratic Party (LNDP) and Russian national union Motherland are planning to hold Russian March on 8 September in the centre of Riga. According to the leader of the LNDP Jevgenijs Osipovs, aim of the action is to raise self- consciousness of Russian residents of Latvia. Main slogans of the action are: Citizenship and Voting Rights to All, Russian Education for Russians, This is Our Country , Official Status for Russian Language and other. Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Chas and Vesti Segodnya report that a public transportation company Rigas Satiksme decided to attract foreign labour force due to the lack of workers from Latvia.