Previous versions discriminated against ethnic Russians.
Published:
16 December 1999 y., Thursday
The United States welcomed Latvia_s new language law on Tuesday and urged the government to follow through by observing its international obligations. Parliament approved an amended version of the controversial bill on December 9 after protests from Moscow and EU about an earlier draft. "The United States believes this law will promote and preserve the Latvian language, while respecting the privacy of Latvia_s private commercial activities and the private lives of all of Latvia_s residents," U.S. State Department said in a statement released by the embassy in Riga.
The law, which comes into force next September, boosts the use of Latvian language, which politicians say needs protection after it was marginalised by Russian during 50 years of Soviet rule.
Moscow has criticized the legislation saying it discriminates against 650,000 Russian speakers.
The U.S. statement recalled that social integration of non-Latvian speakers is a key goal of the U.S.-Baltic Charter of Partnership.
Šaltinis:
MSNBC
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė goes for a working visit to Brussels to attend an informal meeting of the European Council.
more »
President Dalia Grybauskaitė extended congratulations to President Valdis Zatlers and the people of Latvia on their national holiday - Independence Day.
more »
On 16 November in Brussels, Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas took part in the joint meeting of European Union’s foreign and defence ministers with NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
more »
Wednesday, November 11, President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė met with President of the Republic of Poland Lech Kaczyński.
more »
On November 5-6 meeting of the Baltic Chiefs of Defence Staffs of the Baltic States will be held in Nemenčinė, Gen. Ramanauskas Warfare Training Centre (Vilnius Region).
more »
The interview of Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas to the daily Die Presse about his country’s sensitive relations with Russia, about perspectives for Kiev and bad American PR in the antiballistic missile defence debate.
more »
Professor Vytautas Landsbergis, outstanding Lithuanian politician and cultural figure, is invited as a keynote speaker and will deliver a report on the Lithuanian contribution to European freedom and unification in 1988-1989.
more »
President of the Republic of Lithuania participating in her first session of the European Council strongly defends interests of the Baltic countries and other new Member States of the EU at the commencing discussion among the European leaders concerning the common position to be upheld in the upcoming world-wide meeting in Copenhagen on the issue of mitigation of consequences of climate change.
more »
Lithuania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vygaudas Ušackas offers his most sincere condolences to the families of those who have lost their loved ones during the terrorist act in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, on 28 October.
more »
President Dalia Grybauskaitė extended congratulations to President Abdullah Gül on the 86th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Turkey.
more »