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

• Representative of Russia to the OSCE spreads inaccurate information about the organizers of the Congress of the Defenders of Russian-language schools
• Congress of the Defenders of Russian-language schools
• Russias Foreign Affairs Ministry plans to discuss the situation of minorities in Latvia with the High Commissioner on National Minorities of the OSCE Rolf Ekeus
• Discussion for intelligentsia on the education reform
• Interview with the Prime Minister candidate Indulis Emsis
• Minority organizations, which do not support the Headquarter activities against the education reform, plan to issue statement
• Moscow denies financing protest actions against education reform in Latvia
• Article by the former head of the State Language Centre Dzintra Hirsa about education reform
• Interview with the Chairman of the Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies Rafi Haradzanjan
• Vice President of Russia's Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Igor Jurgens about education reform in Latvia
• Interview with the head of the Department of Society Integration of the Special Task Ministers for Society Integration Secretariat Irina Vinnika

Neatkariga Rita Avize reports on inaccurate information spread by the deputy permanent representative of Russia to the OSCE Boris Timokhov during the meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council. The Russian official asked for international support for the Congress of the Defenders of Russian-language schools protest action against the education reform on 6 March in Riga, while claiming that the Latvian Centre for Human Rights and Ethnic Studies is an organizer of the event. The Russian representative expressly pointed to the fact that the Centre recently received the prestigious Max van der Stoel award in recognition of outstanding achievements in the area of improvement national minorities position in Latvia. The actual organizer of this congress is a different NGO – the politically connected Latvian Human Rights Committee – whose leaders are left-wing politicians Tatjana Zdanok, Vladimirs Buzajevs, Genadijs Kotovs and others. State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia (MFA) Maris Riekstins believes that such disinformation is spread intentionally with the goal to mislead and increase the international prestige of the Human Rights Committee.

Commentators discuss the Congress of the Defenders of Russian language schools taking place in Riga today. The commentator of

Commentators discuss the Congress of the Defenders of Russian language schools taking place in Riga today. The commentator of Diena Askolds Rodins and the commentator of Latvijas Avize Maris Antonevics believe that the advocacy of Russian-language schools is only a formal goal of the Congress. Askolds Rodins believes that the congress is a first step towards the two-community state in Latvia. Maris Antonevics points to the political demands to be issued at the congress, including the cancellation of the education reform, implementation of the zero (i.e. automatic-for-all) citizenship and the recognition of Russian as the second state language in Latvia. Diena, Latvijas Avize, Chas, Vesti Segodnya

The Foreign Affairs Ministry of Russia has issued a statement that the education reform in Latvia will be discussed during the visit of the High Commissioner to Russia.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry of Russia has issued a statement that the education reform in Latvia will be discussed during the visit of the High Commissioner to Russia. Latvijas Avize

A discussion on the education reform took place on Friday in Riga, organized by the NGO Baltic Forum. The representative of the NGO Abrams Kleckins has stated that the education reform is a problem of all society, not only the Russians, because of the ignorance of public opinion from the side of political elite. The Saeima MP Boriss Tsilevitch believes that one part of Russians in Latvia supports the radical opinion of those, who do not call for a dialogue, but demand the granting of the automatic citizenship for all and the recognition of Russian as the second state language in Latvia.

A discussion on the education reform took place on Friday in Riga, organized by the NGO Baltic Forum. The representative of the NGO Abrams Kleckins has stated that the education reform is a problem of all society, not only the Russians, because of the ignorance of public opinion from the side of political elite. The Saeima MP Boriss Tsilevitch believes that one part of Russians in Latvia supports the radical opinion of those, who do not call for a dialogue, but demand the granting of the automatic citizenship for all and the recognition of Russian as the second state language in Latvia. Latvijas Avize, Chas, Vesti Segodnya

Latvijas Avize interviews Prime Minister candidate Indulis Emsis. Regarding the education reform, he states that the adopted law has to be fully observed. He also points to the responsibility of the state in providing the technical basis for the successful implementation of the reform.

Two minority non-governmental organizations – “Rietumu krievi” (“Western Russians”)  and “Pilsoniska iniciativa XXI” (“Civic initiative XXI”) – and representatives of Riga Classical Gymnasium are planning to adopt a statement, calling on society to evaluate the activities of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian language schools and not to permit the destabilization of the situation in the state. The leader of “Şietumu krievi” Dmitrijs Nikolajevs has pointed to the fact that the core leaders of the Headquarters are persons who were against the independence of Latvia in 1991.  The secretary of the “Pilsoniska iniciativa XXI” Vjaceslavs Vasins stated that he does not support the Headquarters nor the Ministry of Education and Science, because the activities of both do not promote dialogue.

Two minority non-governmental organizations – Rietumu krievi (Western Russians) and Pilsoniska iniciativa XXI (Civic initiative XXI) – and representatives of Riga Classical Gymnasium are planning to adopt a statement, calling on society to evaluate the activities of the Headquarters for the Defence of Russian language schools and not to permit the destabilization of the situation in the state. The leader of Åžietumu krievi Dmitrijs Nikolajevs has pointed to the fact that the core leaders of the Headquarters are persons who were against the independence of Latvia in 1991. The secretary of the Pilsoniska iniciativa XXI Vjaceslavs Vasins stated that he does not support the Headquarters nor the Ministry of Education and Science, because the activities of both do not promote dialogue. Diena

Diena special correspondent in Moscow Pavels Sirovs writes on issues concerning possible involvement of Russian government and Moscow City Council in financing protest actions against the education reform in Latvia and the participation of Russias political technologists in their organization. Over the last years, Russian authorities have increased its financial support to compatriots living outside Russia, especially by financing several projects from the Russia state budget and Moscow city budget. Despite the fact that approximately one fourth of the 476 millions rubles allocated by Moscow for the activities for compatriots in the Baltic States, Crimea and Kazakhstan, is provided for Latvia and that Moscow also finances the building of the Centre of Russians in Riga, the administration of Russias capital denies its connection with the financing of protest actions against education reform. Diena also refers to an anonymous employee of a Russian political consultation company, which has organized several campaigns during Russian elections, stating that the protest actions against the education reform in Latvia display some characteristics used in Russian political technology. The informant also states that it does not mean that the organizers are necessarily persons from Russia. Diena

Latvijas Avize prints an article of the former head of the State Language Centre Dzintra Hirsa about the minority education reform. Dzintra Hirsa stresses that the implementation of the education reform could deliver a blow to the ideology, which aims to maintain a two-community state and those who propagate such an ideology. The author of the article also attempts to disprove several arguments against education reform.

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the Chairman of the Latvian Association of National Cultural Societies Rafi Haradzanjan, who says that the Russian-language newspapers in Latvia do not reflect the positive experience of the Lithuanian, Polish, Ukrainian and other minorities schools in the area of education reform. Rafi Haradzanjan also criticizes the Secretariat of the Special Task Minister for Society Integration for inactivity in explaining the goals of the education reform to minority students.

Chas features an interview with the Vice President of Russia's Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs Igor Jurgens, who regards the education reform as one of the most serious problems of Latvia, which must be solved before Latvias accession to the EU.

Vesti Segodnya prints an interview with the head of the Department of Society Integration of the Special Task Ministers for Society Integration Secretariat Irina Vinnika about society integration process in Latvia.