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

• Latvia becomes a member of NATO
• Speech of the former Foreign Affairs Minister of Latvia Sandra Kalniete provokes indignant reaction of the Vice President of the German Jewish community Solomon Korn
• Consultations with minority schools on education reform
• Interview with the head of the Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Artis Pabriks
• Interview with the USA ambassador to Latvia Brian E. Carlson
• Conference Ethnic structure, inequality and the Governance of the Public Sector
• Article by the leader of national-extremists organization Visu Latvijai! Raivis Dzintars on national minorities in Latvia

Today Latvia officially becomes a member state of the NATO.

Today Latvia officially becomes a member state of the NATO. Diena, Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Vesti Segodnya, Chas

Speech of the former Foreign Affairs Minister of Latvia Sandra Kalniete at the opening of the Leipzig’s Book Fair has provoked indignation of the Vice President of the German Jewish community Solomon Korn. Leader of the German Jewish community demonstratively left the hall responding to the statement of Sandra Kalniete that both totalitarian regimes – Nazism and communism – have been equally criminal. Sandra Kalniete regards the reaction of Solomon Korn as exaggerated, stating that it reflects insufficient comprehension of the Eastern European history.

Speech of the former Foreign Affairs Minister of Latvia Sandra Kalniete at the opening of the Leipzigs Book Fair has provoked indignation of the Vice President of the German Jewish community Solomon Korn. Leader of the German Jewish community demonstratively left the hall responding to the statement of Sandra Kalniete that both totalitarian regimes – Nazism and communism – have been equally criminal. Sandra Kalniete regards the reaction of Solomon Korn as exaggerated, stating that it reflects insufficient comprehension of the Eastern European history. Diena, Vesti Segodnya, Telegraf

Minister of Education and Science Juris Radzevics in collaboration with the State Language inspection has started consultations with minority schools on education reform. He had already visited Aizkraukle secondary school.

Minister of Education and Science Juris Radzevics in collaboration with the State Language inspection has started consultations with minority schools on education reform. He had already visited Aizkraukle secondary school. Neatkariga Rita Avize, Latvijas Avize, Telegraf

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the head of the Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Artis Pabriks about relationship between Latvia and Russia and the education reform. Artis Pabriks blames former Minister of Education and Science Karlis Sadurskis for complications with the education reforms implementation, pointing to the lack of dialogue between the minister and national minorities. At the same time, the head of the committee recognizes that some statements of the Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language Schools, like, for example, denial of the Latvias occupation therefore questioning the legitimacy of the state, and the fact that the assistant of the Russias State Council deputy speaker Dmitry Rogozin is an activist of the Headquarters, restrict possibilities of the dialogue between this organization and the state.

Latvijas Avize features an interview with the ambassador of USA to Latvia Brian E. Carlson about Latvias accession to the NATO, and about threats of the vice-speaker of the Russia State Council Vladimir Zhirinovsky of the possible terrorist attacks in Latvia. Ambassador believes that it is particularly irresponsible to come out with such statements when the EU discusses how to combat terrorism, and persons who do so put themselves in the same row with Osama bin Laden, ETA, AlQaeda and other extremists.

Chas writes about the conference Ethnic structure, inequality and the Governance of the Public Sector, featuring the statements of foreign experts about society integration and education reform in Latvia. Researcher of the European Centre for Minority Issues in Belgrade Florian Bieber points to the role of language in maintenance of the national identity, stating that looking at the situation in Latvia without prejudice implies that sooner or later it will be necessary to speak about the status of official language for Russian.

Latvijas Avize features an article of the leader of national-extremists organization Visu Latvijai! Raivis Dzintars on national minorities in Latvia. The author believes that it is significant for Latvia to emphasize that those who immigrated to the country during the period of occupation and their descendants cannot be considered as ethnic minorities of Latvia. According to Raivis Dzintars, there are political forces, for example Headquarters for the Defense of Russian-language schools, which, concealing themselves behind the notion of minority, are realizing activities hostile to the state.