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

Russian President B.Yeltsin vetoed the draft law on the state policy towards Russian compatriots residing abroad on May 31 due to unclear juridical imperfection. This could cause problems not only with former USSR republics but Poland, Finland and some other former parts of Russian Empire. The law was corrected at a parliamentary commission meeting, but several articles, preserved in it, contradicted other Russian legal norms. On Thursday the National Council adopted in the first reading a draft law on imposing economic sanctions on Latvia. At the same time the deputies adopted a draft law on humanitarian aid to Russian citizens and compatriots residing in Latvia. The government representatives think that the law will never be adopted or will be adopted with radical amendments.

Russian President B.Yeltsin vetoed the draft law on the state policy towards Russian compatriots residing abroad on May 31 due to unclear juridical imperfection. This could cause problems not only with former USSR republics but Poland, Finland and some other former parts of Russian Empire. The law was corrected at a parliamentary commission meeting, but several articles, preserved in it, contradicted other Russian legal norms. On Thursday the National Council adopted in the first reading a draft law on imposing economic sanctions on Latvia. At the same time the deputies adopted a draft law on humanitarian aid to Russian citizens and compatriots residing in Latvia. The government representatives think that the law will never be adopted or will be adopted with radical amendments. Neatkariga, Diena, Panorama Latvii

To stimulate more public involvement in discussing the national integration program concept the Naturalisation Board circulated leaflets (300 000 copies in the Latvian language and 175 000 in the Russian language) on Monday with a call to give their opinion on the concept. The first responses were received already on Friday.

Diena

In Russian version of Diena the President of Latvian National Commission Western Russians D.Nikolayev contemplates about integration on a theoretical level. He thinks that there is no defined position of the states attitude towards a person. And it leaves impact on the integration process. When integrating two completely opposite tendencies - centripetal and centrifugal, you can not keep old ties (meaning the Satversme of the Republic of Latvia). Diena