• Comments on the warning about racism in Latvia issued by USA Department of State
• An interview with the leader of the party Latvian Way Ivars Godmanis about social integration in Latvia

Newspapers publish comments on the warning about racism in Latvia issued by the USA Department of State.

Newspapers publish comments on the warning about racism in Latvia issued by the USA Department of State. Diena and Telegraf write that most probably the warning was issued because an embassy staff member and her family members had an incident in the Riga Old Town on 1 July. The USA Embassy does not confirm the assumption, however, notes that the incident on 1 July was a serious racially motivated attack. While the police express their incomprehension regarding the 2-week delay of reporting on the incident. The Foreign Affairs Minister of Latvia Artis Pabriks has stated that racial crimes should be punished in the strict accordance with law; however, he believes that the statement of the USA Department of State that Latvia is a racial country is exaggerated. The Foreign Affairs Minister has called the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration and the Minister of Interior to take all necessary measures to guarantee security of people. While the Integration Minister Ainars Latkovskis reports that already after the first racially motivated attacks in Riga he has asked USA Department of State and the USA Ambassador to Latvia to provide training for police officers on methods how to handle racially motivated crimes ‘if somebody is robbed, police know what to do, while these crimes are new in Latvia. According to the Integration Minister, USA officials have not responded to the request yet. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Chas, Telegraf

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the leader of the party Latvias Way Ivars Godmanis about social integration in Latvia. Ivars Godmanis believes that the effective social integration programme is too theoretical and cannot be implemented. According to the party leader, theoretical statements about social integration should be replaced by the policy based on the following principle: a mutual ‘non-aggression pact between Latvians and Russians should be concluded instead of artificial attempts to ‘melt Russians into Latvian society. According to Ivars Godmanis, the new generation of Russians should be obliged to study Latvian on consistent basis.

• USA Department of State warns tourists about racism in Latvia
• Latvijas Avize discusses the implementation of the minority education reform

USA Department of State warns American tourists who want to travel to Latvia about racism in Latvia. The information is published in the homepage of USA Department of. The USA Embassy to Latvia states that such warning is given because in a short period of time three allegedly racially motivated harassments and attacks were registered in Riga. Besides at the disposal of the Embassy there is information that also on 1 July an American citizen was attacked on allegedly racial basis. 

USA Department of State warns American tourists who want to travel to Latvia about racism in Latvia. The information is published in the homepage of USA Department of. The USA Embassy to Latvia states that such warning is given because in a short period of time three allegedly racially motivated harassments and attacks were registered in Riga. Besides at the disposal of the Embassy there is information that also on 1 July an American citizen was attacked on allegedly racial basis. Diena

Latvijas Avize prints an interview wit the head of the Integration Department of the Ministry of Education and Science Evija Papule about the implementation of the minority education reform. According to the official, attitude of the minority schools teachers as well as parents of minority students towards the reform has become more positive after the implementation of the reform has been launched. While several representatives of minority schools administrations, interviewed by the newspaper, highlight a number of problems regarding the implementation of the reform – the lack of methodological materials as well as dictionaries in mathematics, physics, history and philosophy. The official of the Rezekne Educational Department Astra Visocka stated that schools experience problems with Russian teachers who have bad Latvian language proficiency. However, according to Astra Visocka, there is a tendency that a growing number of minority parents send their children to Latvian-language schools.

• Views on the minority education reform

Latvijas Avize prints an article by retired commander Leonids Kurakins about the minority education reform. The author of the article believes that a flexible state policy regarding the implementation of the reform is needed. He is convinced that schools should have a possibility to decide about the terms of the implementation. Leonids Kurakins also states that work with public should be carried out, in particular legal aspects of the education reform should be explained.

• Prosecutors General Office forwards a criminal case about incitement of national hatred to the court
• New union of political organisations the Harmony Centre established

The Prosecutor’s General Office has forwarded a criminal case on incitement of national hatred in articles of the national radical newspaper

The Prosecutors General Office has forwarded a criminal case on incitement of national hatred in articles of the national radical newspaper DDD published by the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Liga Muzikante and journalist Ilze Liepa. Latvijas Avize reports that in the pressed charges it is stressed that two journalist published articles promoting hatred against Jews and representatives of the other nationalities. Latvijas Avize

On Saturday a new union of left-wing political organisations the Harmony Centre was established. The union includes the People’s Harmony Party and the New Centre and will be led by Sergejs Dolgopolovs, the former leader of the New Centre. While the long-term leader of the People’s Harmony Party (PHP) Janis Jurkans has announced about leaving the People’s Harmony Party as he object the union of the two parties.

On Saturday a new union of left-wing political organisations the Harmony Centre was established. The union includes the Peoples Harmony Party and the New Centre and will be led by Sergejs Dolgopolovs, the former leader of the New Centre. While the long-term leader of the Peoples Harmony Party (PHP) Janis Jurkans has announced about leaving the Peoples Harmony Party as he object the union of the two parties. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Chas, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

• Planned consolidation of the Peoples Harmony Party and the New Centre

Newspapers report on announcements made by two left wing parties - the People’s Harmony Party and the New Centre – about their merging. The decision about consolidation could be made during the parties’ congresses today.

Newspapers report on announcements made by two left wing parties - the Peoples Harmony Party and the New Centre – about their merging. The decision about consolidation could be made during the parties congresses today. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Chas