Integration monitor is a daily Latvian press digest on ethnic minority and society integration issues. The Monitor reviews the biggest Latvian dailies: Diena, Latvijas Avize, Neatkariga (in Latvian language), Vesti Segodnya (in Russian language). In specific cases other information sources are used. Latvian Centre for Human Rights is not responsible for information published by the media.

Press Report

Press Report

The

The Saeima at its yesterday's session did not support a vote of non-confidence for Minister of Foreign Affairs Birkavs. Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs Jurkans refused to take the floor during the debate on the issue. He objected to the Saeima decision on reducing the length of comments to five minutes calling it an attempt to conceal flaws in the work of the Ministry. During the debate the deputies supporting the vote of no-confidence criticized Birkavs for ignoring the country's relations with Russia and Lithuania. Birkavs' supporters said that dismissing the Minister of Foreign Affairs before concluding vital agreements with Lithuania and Russia would be unwise. Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Bruvers pointed at the fact that those criticizing Birkavs could not produce an alternate foreign policy concept of their own. Diena

Valdis Birkavs in an interview for

Valdis Birkavs in an interview for "SM SEVODNYA" said he was ready to discuss the developments in Latvian foreign policy with his opponents. Birkavs says that he did his best to improve relations with Moscow and complains about the lack of responseto his initiatives. "Russia always finds reasons for postponing negotiations with Latvia," said Birkavs. He complained about Russia focusing too much on NATO enlargement and human rights. He believes Russia might put forward new demands and link the border agreement with human rights or NATO enlargement. Birkavs says that the Government and "Latvijas Cels" (Birkavs="" party) would like to bring the human rights situation in Latvia into compliance with European standards. He supports changes in the CID and admits that "errors have been made". Still, the country "is moving in the right direction", believes Birkavs. Among the achievements of the Latvian foreign policy he mentioned Council of Europe membership. Birkavs believes that the 1920 Riga Peace treaty is more of a symbolic than of a practical meaning to Latvia. He is optimistic about settling the border argument with Lithuania and says that Skele has not been interviewed by a Lithuania newspaper. He refused to go any deeper into the interview scandal. Diena

Latvian politicians interviewed by

Latvian politicians interviewed by "DIENA" believe that Russia might come up with new conditions at the border delimitation talks with Latvia. "Saimnieks" deputy Ivars Kezbers suggests that discussing economic and humanitarian issues with Russia will help maintaining neighborly relations with the country. J.Jurkans expects that Russia will continue to raise the issue of Russian-speakers in Latvia and Estonia.

Last Wednesday the UN General Assembly decided to close the discussion on the human rights situation in Latvia and Estonia. The Chairman of the Third Committee of the General Assembly referred to the assessment of the situation by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Chairman of the Third Committee praised the Governments of Estonia and Latvia for taking into consideration recommendations by the OSCE and other international organizations. A statement by the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls the decision by the Third Committee "an achievement of the Latvian diplomacy and proof of the country="s" policy aimed at protecting human rights". A spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Russia would continue bringing up the issue at the UN General Assembly.

Last Wednesday the UN General Assembly decided to close the discussion on the human rights situation in Latvia and Estonia. The Chairman of the Third Committee of the General Assembly referred to the assessment of the situation by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The Chairman of the Third Committee praised the Governments of Estonia and Latvia for taking into consideration recommendations by the OSCE and other international organizations. A statement by the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls the decision by the Third Committee "an achievement of the Latvian diplomacy and proof of the country="s" policy aimed at protecting human rights". A spokesman for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Russia would continue bringing up the issue at the UN General Assembly. Diena, Neatkariga

A letter to a reader's column in

A letter to a reader's column in "PANORAMA LATVII" points at a problem that might occur during the exchange of old USSR passports for new non-citizen identification documents. A CID representative in a TV interview mentioned birth certificates among the documents to be produced for receiving the new passports. Many non-citizens cannot obtain birth certificates or their copies that were lost in archives outside Latvia. USSR authorities often kept birth certificates in their archives when issuing passports to Soviet citizens.