Integration monitor
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.
Сен. 17, 2003
Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies
NATO Parliamentary Assembly Committee will visit to investigate the situation of Russian speakers in Latvia and Estonia
A delegation of the Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (consisting of deputies from 17 states) is planning to investigate the situation of Russian speakers in Latvia and Estonia next week. The Committee will meet with the Minister of Education and Science, the Special Task Minister for Societal Integration, the Head of the Naturalisation Board, representatives of NGOs and some parliament committees and will visit two minority schools. Lauku Avize, Chas
Yesterday the government approved the proposal of the Naturalisation Board to reduce naturalisation fee from 10 to 3 lats for low-income persons, unemployed, pensioners, disabled persons, families with more than two children and full-time students. Lauku Avize, Chas, Telegraf
Yesterday the Saeima Committee of Education, Culture and Science met with the leadership of the Naturalisation Board to discuss the complaint of three participants in the Latvian language courses for naturalisation candidates in which they expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of the courses. Some Committee members have expressed dissatisfaction with the work of Naturalisation Board, stressing that many naturalised citizens do not know enough Latvian language. Lauku Avize, Chas
The Speaker of the Knesset Reuven Rivlin is participating in the conference Jews in a Changing World held in Riga. Vilis Kristopans, Chairperson of the Saeima National Security Committee, sees a connection between the visit of the Knesset representative andthe act of vandalism in the New Jewish cemetery. Ruta Marjasha, the Latvian representative to the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance,says that foreign media has not yet reported on the vandalism case, but predicts that after this conference the news could spread more widely. Rigas Balss, Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Lauku Avize, Chas, Telegraf
The Saeima Human Rights Committee has rejected proposals of the party For Human Rights in the United Latvia to amend the Law on Education. Lauku Avize, Chas, Vechernaya Riga
Chas writes on the report of the Ministry of Education and Science on general education, which indicates that students of Russian-language schools have insufficient Latvian language skills to continue their studies in Latvian.
Calls for a yes vote in the referendum on Latvias accession to the EU are issued by the Synod of the Latvian Orthodox Church, the Head of the Board of Jewish communities, and the Head of the Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies. Twenty well-known minority representatives signed an appeal to minority populations to support Latvia accession to the EU. Diena, Chas, Vesti Segodnya
The last (third) court session reviewing the case submitted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs about the liquidation of the extremist National-Bolshevik organisation Victory will be held tomorrow. Vesti Segodnya, Chas