• 125, 000 persons have been granted Latvian citizenship trough naturalisation since 1995
• Memorial to the rescuer of Jews Zanis Lipke and all Latvians who helped Jews during the Holocaust has been opened in Riga

Newspapers report that 125, 000 persons have been granted Latvian citizenship through naturalisation since the procedure was launched in 1995.

Newspapers report that 125, 000 persons have been granted Latvian citizenship through naturalisation since the procedure was launched in 1995. Chas, Latvijas Avize

Yesterday, the President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga and the Chairman of the Council of Jewish Parishes and Communities Arkadijs Suharenko have opened a memorial to the rescuer of Jews Zanis Lipke and all Latvians who helped Jews during the Holocaust in Latvia. The memorial was opened in Riga.

Yesterday, the President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga and the Chairman of the Council of Jewish Parishes and Communities Arkadijs Suharenko have opened a memorial to the rescuer of Jews Zanis Lipke and all Latvians who helped Jews during the Holocaust in Latvia. The memorial was opened in Riga. Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf, Latvijas Avize, NRA

• Vesti Segodnya reports on a congress held by the nationalistic organisation Civic Committee

Vesti Segodnya reports on a congress held by the nationalistic organisation Civic Committee. Members of the Committee have stated that one of their core aims is to expel from Latvia all persons who had arrived to the country during the Soviet times. According to the Civic Committee, naturalisation process is illegal and all persons who have received citizenship through naturalisation are not legitimate Latvian citizens.

• Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins: there is no need to change the naturalisation procedure
• Chas prints an interview with the director of Rigas Belarussian elementary school Anna Ivane

The Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins has stated that there is no need to change the naturalisation procedure. According to Gaidis Berzins, the number of applicants for naturalisation has decreased because persons willing to become Latvian citizens have already naturalised. The Minister also believes that naturalisation policy is a part of internal policy and foreign intervention into it is not acceptable.

The Minister of Justice Gaidis Berzins has stated that there is no need to change the naturalisation procedure. According to Gaidis Berzins, the number of applicants for naturalisation has decreased because persons willing to become Latvian citizens have already naturalised. The Minister also believes that naturalisation policy is a part of internal policy and foreign intervention into it is not acceptable. Chas

Chas prints an interview with the director of Belarussian elementary school of Riga Anna Ivane. According to Ms. Ivane, Belarussian school is not able to rent larger premises and to become a secondary school due to a lack of funding.

• Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs of the European Parliament hold a debate on issues concerning non-citizenship in Europe
• Representative of the Russias Ministry of Foreign Affairs: meeting with members of Latvian government has given the impression that Latvia is ready to solve non-citizenship problems
• State Language Centre has fined two shop cashiers for insufficient Latvian language proficiency skills at work

Vesti Segodnya reports that on 26 June, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs of the European Parliament hold a debate on issues concerning non-citizenship in Europe. Representative of the Cabinet of Ministers of Latvia Inga Reine has stated that Russia as a successor state of the USSR is responsible for large number of non-citizens in Latvia and Estonia. Inga Reine believes that if political rights of Latvian non-citizens are widened they would lost motivation to become naturalised. Representative of the European Commission Francisco Fonseca Morillo has stated that the European Commission will continue to hold consultations with the Baltic States regarding non-citizenship problems.

Latvijas Avize reports that representative of Russias Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that a meeting with representatives of Latvian government have given the impression that Latvia is ready to solve problems of non-citizens. As reported, representatives of Russias Parliament have visited Latvia recently.

Inspectors of the State Language Centre have fined two shop cashiers in amount of LVL 10 (EUR 14) for insufficient Latvian language proficiency skills at work. The State Language Centre held the inspection after receiving a complaint.

Inspectors of the State Language Centre have fined two shop cashiers in amount of LVL 10 (EUR 14) for insufficient Latvian language proficiency skills at work. The State Language Centre held the inspection after receiving a complaint. Latvijas Avize

• Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe discussed situation on anti-Semitism and xenophobia in Europe

Yesterday, members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) have discussed situation concerning anti-Semitism and xenophobia in Europe. According to the report by the PACE’s member, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, Mihail Margelov, there are several radical groupings in Latvia propagating Judiophobia and other forms of xenophobia; there are also expressions of anti-Semitism in Latvian internet and mass media.

Yesterday, members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) have discussed situation concerning anti-Semitism and xenophobia in Europe. According to the report by the PACEs member, Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, Mihail Margelov, there are several radical groupings in Latvia propagating Judiophobia and other forms of xenophobia; there are also expressions of anti-Semitism in Latvian internet and mass media. Vesti Segodnya