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.

Integration and Minority Information Service
of the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies

• President of France Jacques Chirac says that the European Union should respect the concerns of Russia
• Possible prohibition for the Vice Speaker of the Russia State Council Dmitry Rogozin to entry into Latvia
• For Human Rights in United Latvia calls to repeal or postpone the education reform
• Saeima Legal Affairs Committee has rejected a proposal to prohibit the organization of MPs meetings with their voters without the agreement of the municipality
• Saeima MPs discuss the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities with the head of the Secretariat of the Special Task Minister for Society Integration Kristine Vagnere
• Protest action against education reform near the Embassy of Latvia building in Moscow
• Simon Wiesenthal Centre representative Efraim Zuroff criticizes the President of Latvia for ignoring the Holocaust

President of France Jacques Chirac has stated that European Union should respect the interests of the Russia considering its concerns about the accession of the East Europe’s countries to the EU and the efforts of Russia to regain its place in the world. According to the President, EU also ought to take into account Russia’s disquiet about the situation of Russian-speaking people in the Baltic States.

President of France Jacques Chirac has stated that European Union should respect the interests of the Russia considering its concerns about the accession of the East Europes countries to the EU and the efforts of Russia to regain its place in the world. According to the President, EU also ought to take into account Russias disquiet about the situation of Russian-speaking people in the Baltic States. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize

Diena, referring to informal source of information, features an article about the possible decision to include the name of the Vice Speaker of the Russia State Council Dmitry Rogozin in the list of the persons not allowed entry into Latvia. Constitutional Defence Bureau and the State Security Police do not comment this issue. State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maris Riekstins has stated that the Ministry is planning to formulate its stance until Friday, evaluating the situation and the previous statements of Dmitry Rogozin about Latvia. The organizers of the Congress of the Defenders of Russian language schools of Latvia have invited the Vice Speaker of the Russian State Council as a guest of a congress on 6 March. Diena

Leaders of the political union For Human Rights in the United Latvia Tatjana Zhdanok and Jakovs Pliners have called on the President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga and MPs of Saeima to acknowledge that the education reform is incorrect and that it is necessary to repeal or postpone the implementation of it. The leaders of the union also propose a provision in the Law on Education that the level of bilingualism and the choice of the subjects to be taught in Latvian in minority schools should be the competence of a school’s council, which is composed by parents, students of the senior grades, teachers and school administration representatives.

Leaders of the political union For Human Rights in the United Latvia Tatjana Zhdanok and Jakovs Pliners have called on the President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga and MPs of Saeima to acknowledge that the education reform is incorrect and that it is necessary to repeal or postpone the implementation of it. The leaders of the union also propose a provision in the Law on Education that the level of bilingualism and the choice of the subjects to be taught in Latvian in minority schools should be the competence of a schools council, which is composed by parents, students of the senior grades, teachers and school administration representatives. Diena, Chas, Vechernaya Riga

Saeima Legal Affairs Committee has rejected a proposal by the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM, which stipulated the prohibition to organize meetings of MPs with their voters without the agreement of the municipality. At the same time the Committee decided to elaborate amendments to the Law on Meetings, Street Marches and Pickets in order to preclude the possibility to organize unsanctioned protest actions under the guise of meetings with the electorate.

Saeima Legal Affairs Committee has rejected a proposal by the party For Fatherland and Freedom/LNIM, which stipulated the prohibition to organize meetings of MPs with their voters without the agreement of the municipality. At the same time the Committee decided to elaborate amendments to the Law on Meetings, Street Marches and Pickets in order to preclude the possibility to organize unsanctioned protest actions under the guise of meetings with the electorate. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Chas

A meeting of the representatives of the Saeima Subcommittee on Societal Integration with the head of the Secretariat of the Special Task Minister for Society Integration Kristine Vagnere took place yesterday. The potentially problematic paragraphs of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities were allegedly discussed during this meeting.

A meeting of the representatives of the Saeima Subcommittee on Societal Integration with the head of the Secretariat of the Special Task Minister for Society Integration Kristine Vagnere took place yesterday. The potentially problematic paragraphs of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities were allegedly discussed during this meeting. Chas, Vechernaya Riga

A protest action against the minority education reform of Latvia was organized near the building of the Embassy of Latvia in Moscow by the  Russia youth organization “Energya Zhiznji” (“The Energy of Life”).

A protest action against the minority education reform of Latvia was organized near the building of the Embassy of Latvia in Moscow by the Russia youth organization Energya Zhiznji (The Energy of Life). Latvijas Avize, Telegraf, Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize features article about an e-mail of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre representative Efraim Zuroff to the President of Latvia Vaira Vike-Freiberga, in which he allegedly criticizes the President for ignoring the Holocaust and comparing it with the crimes of genocide of the communist regime. Vaira Vike-Freiberga has answered that she has frequently expressed her condemnation of the Holocaust.