Newsroom
Statement on Latvia by OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities
THE HAGUE 16 July 1998
THE HAGUE, 16 July 1998 - The following statement was issued today by the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Max van der Stoel:
"In recent weeks, Prime Minister Krasts has on several occasions expressed his conviction that, once my recommendations on changing the citizenship law would have been implemented, I would recommend further changes in this law. I want to make my position clear. My recommendations on this subject are laid down in my letter to Foreign Minister Birkavs of 23 May 1997. In essence I have recommended:
"Since I made these recommendations I have not changed my position on this subject, and I do not see the need to do so in future."
"In recent weeks, Prime Minister Krasts has on several occasions expressed his conviction that, once my recommendations on changing the citizenship law would have been implemented, I would recommend further changes in this law. I want to make my position clear. My recommendations on this subject are laid down in my letter to Foreign Minister Birkavs of 23 May 1997. In essence I have recommended:
- Abolition of the 'window-system';
- granting of Latvian citizenship to children of stateless parents born in Latvia after August 1991 without an obligation for them to pass tests, provided that their parents make an application to this effect;
- simplification of the test regarding the history and the constitution of Latvia as required in the naturalisation process.
"Since I made these recommendations I have not changed my position on this subject, and I do not see the need to do so in future."