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

According to Press-Secretary of the European Commission van der Pass, the Commission will recommend the European Union to consider six potential new members. The countries are Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Estonia and Cyprus. The recommendation was adopted yesterday and is to be made public today. Still, Nordic countries would prefer to start talks with all potential members without giving any preferences. Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs Nils Hedvig Petrsen in an interview said that the EU Summit might reconsider the recommendation by the European Commission. The Summit will be held in Luxembourg in December this year.

According to Press-Secretary of the European Commission van der Pass, the Commission will recommend the European Union to consider six potential new members. The countries are Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Estonia and Cyprus. The recommendation was adopted yesterday and is to be made public today. Still, Nordic countries would prefer to start talks with all potential members without giving any preferences. Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs Nils Hedvig Petrsen in an interview said that the EU Summit might reconsider the recommendation by the European Commission. The Summit will be held in Luxembourg in December this year. Diena, B&B

President Ulmanis visited Daugavpils yesterday. While addressing members of the City Council, the President pointed at the low pace of naturalization process in the city. Only 600 non-citizens out of 40,000 have applied for naturalization. Mr. Ulmanis also highly assessed harmonious relations between ethnic groups in Daugavpils and pointed at aprogress achieved by its inhabitants in studying the Latvian language.

President Ulmanis visited Daugavpils yesterday. While addressing members of the City Council, the President pointed at the low pace of naturalization process in the city. Only 600 non-citizens out of 40,000 have applied for naturalization. Mr. Ulmanis also highly assessed harmonious relations between ethnic groups in Daugavpils and pointed at aprogress achieved by its inhabitants in studying the Latvian language. Diena

President Ulmanis in an interview for

President Ulmanis in an interview for "DIENA" stressed once again that Latvia would not agree to accept security guarantees from Russia as a compensation for not becoming a NATO member. He expressed hope that Russia's negative attitude toward the possibility of Latvia joining the bloc could be overcome by negotiating and developing "a flexible dialogue". "The Washington Post" in an article published yesterday evaluated the chances of the three Baltic states to join NATO in 1999 as "thin". The article is a comment on Secretary of State M.Albright's visits to Lithuania and St. Petersburg. During her meeting with Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Primakov Mrs. Albright noted that none of the NATO members had made an apparent decision supporting the admission of the three countries. Diena

Sergey Zhuravlev, a Member of the Writers' Union of Latvia, warns against implementing the new Education Law that provides for using Latvian as the only language of instruction in all state-financed schools after 2005. The reform, according to Mr. Zhuravlev, is "language genocide" that would destroy the entire Russian language education system.

Sergey Zhuravlev, a Member of the Writers' Union of Latvia, warns against implementing the new Education Law that provides for using Latvian as the only language of instruction in all state-financed schools after 2005. The reform, according to Mr. Zhuravlev, is "language genocide" that would destroy the entire Russian language education system. SM