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 Review

Press Review

The Latvian co-chairman of the Latvian-Russian intergovernmental commission Anatolijs Gorbunovs agreed with his Russian counterpart Mr. Abdulatipov to resume the work of the intergovernmental commission in the near future. Mr. Abdulatipov told 

The Latvian co-chairman of the Latvian-Russian intergovernmental commission Anatolijs Gorbunovs agreed with his Russian counterpart Mr. Abdulatipov to resume the work of the intergovernmental commission in the near future. Mr. Abdulatipov toldDiena that there are no political obstacles to the resumption of the commissions work. He stressed that there are several issues, including humanitarian, economic and social, have been prepared in the form of intergovernmental agreements that need to be signed. The first two meetings of the working groups on humanitarian, social and transit issues, are scheduled for 6 and 13 May. According to Mr. Abdulatipov, both parties agreed that at the end of June or the beginning of July the chairmen of the commission will meet to assess the done work. Mr. Gorbunovs described the meeting with Mr. Abdulatipov as successful and constructive. Diena, Neatkariga

Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the President of the Parliamentary Assembly welcomed the Latvian Saeima decision to abolish the death penalty.

Secretary General of the Council of Europe and the President of the Parliamentary Assembly welcomed the Latvian Saeima decision to abolish the death penalty. Diena

The Latvian Institute, a limited liability company established by the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers to popularise the image of Latvia abroad, plans to take part in the discussion about the draft language law by publishing the opinions of the experts on the language issues. The Director of the Latvian Institute V. Vike-Freiberga believes that the opinion of the Institute on this issues will not necessarily correspond with the Saeima opinion. According to Ms. Vike-Freiberga, there are several solutions to the language issue and the politicians should not act precipitately. Besides, “Mr. Stoel holds one-sided opinions and that is not the only solution,” Ms. Vike -Freiberga said. The Latvian Institute wants to help get orientated “in the woods of opinions on this sensitive issue.” The State Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, thinks the Institute should not get involved into the discussion of the internal political issues. Mr. Riekstins told

The Latvian Institute, a limited liability company established by the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers to popularise the image of Latvia abroad, plans to take part in the discussion about the draft language law by publishing the opinions of the experts on the language issues. The Director of the Latvian Institute V. Vike-Freiberga believes that the opinion of the Institute on this issues will not necessarily correspond with the Saeima opinion. According to Ms. Vike-Freiberga, there are several solutions to the language issue and the politicians should not act precipitately. Besides, Mr. Stoel holds one-sided opinions and that is not the only solution, Ms. Vike -Freiberga said. The Latvian Institute wants to help get orientated in the woods of opinions on this sensitive issue. The State Secretary of the Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, thinks the Institute should not get involved into the discussion of the internal political issues. Mr. Riekstins told JaunaAvize that if the institute wants to become an solid institution, it should present in abroad the opinion adopted by the democratically elected Saeima as the best solution,

With the aim to promote the social integration and help pupils of other nationalities to master the Latvian language, the Director of Riga Secondary School No 40 Galina Yefremova has compiled the primer, the text book, and three exercise books of the Latvian language for elementary schools. As the teachers of this school told

With the aim to promote the social integration and help pupils of other nationalities to master the Latvian language, the Director of Riga Secondary School No 40 Galina Yefremova has compiled the primer, the text book, and three exercise books of the Latvian language for elementary schools. As the teachers of this school told Diena, they have been using these materials for four years, and after mastering the content, pupils can freely speak Latvian.

Yesterday at the press conference the Prime Minister V. Kristopans informed the journalists that he has submitted the amendments to the draft language law to the Saeima. According to him, neither Europeans nor Mr.van der Stoel, but Latvia needs this Law. “Therefore, we should be rational and look for the optimum solution to this issue.”

Yesterday at the press conference the Prime Minister V. Kristopans informed the journalists that he has submitted the amendments to the draft language law to the Saeima. According to him, neither Europeans nor Mr.van der Stoel, but Latvia needs this Law. Therefore, we should be rational and look for the optimum solution to this issue. B&B, SM

In the letter to the State President and the Saeima the Daugavpils Latvian Society, Latgalian Society, the Association of the Politically Repressed Persons and the regional division of the

In the letter to the State President and the Saeima the Daugavpils Latvian Society, Latgalian Society, the Association of the Politically Repressed Persons and the regional division of the For Fatherland and Freedom call the parliament to adopt the draft language law in the final reading without amendments. Neatkariga

Panorama Latviiinterviews the new Russian Consul General in Daugavpils Nikolay Bondarenko. Answering the question about the draft language law, Mr. Bondarenko expressed a hope that it will be amended and in the final version will not contain provisions restricting the use of the Russian language. Banishing the Russian language from all spheres of life, including the private sphere, contradicts the international norms, Mr. Bondarenko said.

In the interview of the professor of the Latvian University Ina Druviete states that the framework document of the national integration program contradicts the conception of the Latvian state language policy which has been implemented since 1988. In the presented integration program the major emphasis is put on the language training. All other undertaking are recognised either as harmful or less significant. If we consider the language training as the major task, we completely exclude two other important aspects of the language policy: the legal aspect, meaning, the state regulation of the language situation, and the linguistic aspect - the development and research of the language, Ms. Druviete said.

In the interview of the professor of the Latvian University Ina Druviete states that the framework document of the national integration program contradicts the conception of the Latvian state language policy which has been implemented since 1988. In the presented integration program the major emphasis is put on the language training. All other undertaking are recognised either as harmful or less significant. If we consider the language training as the major task, we completely exclude two other important aspects of the language policy: the legal aspect, meaning, the state regulation of the language situation, and the linguistic aspect - the development and research of the language, Ms. Druviete said. Rigas Balss

A pedagogue Valery Buchvalov believes that at this moment no pedagogue in Latvia is ready to offer bilingual education of full value aiming at teaching the child to freely think and present the ideas in two language orally and in written way. He thinks that the introduction of the bilingual education needs to be gradual - at first it should have the status of the experimental education and should be used for teaching of some disciplines in the schools where there are qualified teachers.

A pedagogue Valery Buchvalov believes that at this moment no pedagogue in Latvia is ready to offer bilingual education of full value aiming at teaching the child to freely think and present the ideas in two language orally and in written way. He thinks that the introduction of the bilingual education needs to be gradual - at first it should have the status of the experimental education and should be used for teaching of some disciplines in the schools where there are qualified teachers. Chas

In the

In the SM Mr.A. Gilman comments the public discussion of the framework conception of the national integration program, presented by the mass media. According to him, the newspapers are full of only critical articles. Mr. Gilman joins the ones criticising the program and compares it with the Communist Party Program. According to him, the authors of the framework document took the existing ideological dogmas concerning the education, language citizenship, mass media, added some nice phrases about the integration and named this collection the integration program. Mr. Gilman questions the usefulness of sponsoring the discussion by the Soros Fund. Instead of wasting the money for the financing of the discussion it could have been used for informing the West that majority of non-Latvians wants to have Russian as the second state language and to be granted citizenship without naturalisation. SM