Dombrovskis addressed Latvia’s Russian speaking community

  • 2012-02-17

RIGA - Today, Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis (Unity) addressed Latvia's Russian speaking community on Latvian Radio 4, a day before the language referendum.

The prime minister has made the decision to address the Russian speaking community through the Russian media to explain that the Latvian language is one of country's basic fundamentals, and there cannot be an alternative.

Dombrovskis believes that after the referendum, more active work on integration must be carried out, which would be based on national unity. He added that this must be done, even though the leaders of the opposite camp - Vladmirs Lindermans and Riga Mayor Nils Usakovs (Harmony Center), have not been heard making any announcements on national unity.

As reported, the referendum on granting the status of state language to Russian is scheduled to be held on February 18.

771,893 votes will be required to make Russian a second official language in Latvia.