Council of Europe: Latvia discriminates against ethnic Russians

The Council of Europe's commission against racism and intolerance has issued a report on Latvia, testifying to discrimination against ethnic Russians in that country. "The information cited is telling evidence of infringement by Latvian legislation and legal practices on the rights of Russian-speaking minority," says the Russian foreign ministry. This report leaves no doubts as to the unfavorable status of ethnic minorities in Latvia.

Moscow shares the commission's concern over these negative tendencies fraught with a growth of social tensions. The Russian foreign ministry believes that more resolute steps by Latvian authorities to remove this imbalance in the rights of different groups of the population would answer the vital interests of Latvia itself.

This considered, Russia is joining the parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe in its appeal for Latvia to ratify, as a member country of the Council of Europe, the Convention on defence of national minorities and to adjust to it Latvian law, said the Russian foreign ministry.