Russia has called on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to not remain silent over what it says is “the absolutely inadequate humanitarian situation” in Latvia and Estonia.

Yuri V. Fedotov, Russia’s deputy minister for foreign affairs, told the commission March 17 in Geneva, Switzerland, that the two Baltic nations are not observing basic human rights, especially for their large Russian-speaking minorities.

In response, Latvian Foreign Minister Artis Pabriks told Russian Ambassador Viktor Kalyuzhny he cannot understand Russia’s recent unwarranted criticisms of Latvia’s human rights and minority policies. Pabriks told the ambassador that such comments by Russian officials will not help relations between the countries, according to a March 18 press release from Latvia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

“Every second Russian-speaking person in the states has no citizenship,” Fedotov told the Commission on Human Rights, according to an unofficial translation of his speech. He said this is a “blatant violation” of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Fedotov had further harsh words for Latvia, with which Russia has had chilly diplomatic relations for months.

The inability of non-citizens to vote in Latvia’s municipal elections, he said, is one factor in a “deficit of democracy.” An estimated 480,000 Russian-speakers were barred from voting in Latvia’s March 12 municipal elections. Fedotov said other European Union members allow non-citizens to vote in local elections.

Fedotov also raised the issue of Latvia’s education reform, which aims to increase the use of Latvian in secondary schools. Last summer, the planned changes in language use resulted in several protests in Rīga.

“Socially significant reforms are being prepared without consulting whom they affect,” Fedotov said. “Taking into account Rīga’s complete lack of readiness for dialogue, there is nothing surprising about the fact that such an approach results in massive protests.”

However, the largest protests in Rīga drew about 20,000 people on May 1, the day Latvia joined the European Union, and about 5,000 people on Sept. 1, the first day of school, according to news reports. (Some Russian-language media said the number of protesters on Sept. 1 reached 25,000.)

Fedotov also said “continuing reprisals” against military veterans who fought against German forces during World War II, glorification of veterans who fought with German forces, and attempts to rewrite the history of the war are fueling “contemporary forms of racism and neonazism.” He was referring to trials of suspected Soviet war criminals, to events such as the March 16 commemoration by Latvian Legion war veterans in Rīga, and the recent publication of a controversial book, Latvia’s History: The 20th Century (Latvijas vēsture: 20. gadsimts).

The human rights commission began its annual six-week meeting on March 14. The meeting concludes April 22.

A month-long advertising campaign intended to draw more European tourists to Latvia begins March 15 on the European version of the all-news channel CNN, the State Agency for Tourism Development has announced.

The 45-second spot was created by the Rīga office of Metro Leo Burnett and CUBA Studio. Production of the commercial cost LVL 20,000, but broadcast on CNN will cost USD 54,000. The commercial features French, Dutch and Chinese tourists who have been to Latvia more than once. “More than two-thirds of visitors return to Latvia,” a man’s voice announces. “Find out why you will.”

The commercial is scheduled to air 57 times from March 15 through April 11 during programs such as “The World Report,” “CNN International World News” and “Diplomatic License.”

The clip may be downloaded for viewing from latviatourism.lv.

The conservative party Jaunais laiks, which won nearly 18 percent of votes in March 12 balloting, will take 13 of 60 seats on the Rīga City Council and appears ready to lead a slim conservative coalition that could slightly outweigh the influence of leftist parties, according to provisional election results tallied by Latvia’s Central Elections Commission.

A total of 52 percent of eligible voters—a 10 percentage point drop in turnout from four years ago—cast ballots in the March 12 municipal elections across Latvia.

Jaunais laiks took 17.9 percent of the 200,914 votes cast in Rīga. Other conservative parties also will have a presence on the new city council. Latvijas Pirmā partija will get four seats, Tēvzemei un Brīvībai/LNNK will get six and Tautas partija will get eight. All together, conservative parties will control 31 seats on the council. Jaunais laiks, TB/LNNK and Tautas partija have said they are ready to work together in a coalition, according to Latvian media reports.

TB/LNNK also says the Latvian Social Democratic Labor Party (LSDSP), which is the party of current Mayor Gundars Bojārs and stands to lose half its seats on the council, should also be brought into the coalition to ensure a stable majority.

The predominantly Russian party Par cilvēka tiesībām vienotā Latvijā got nine seats on the council, the leftist association Dzimtene took eight seats, and LSDSP kept seven of its current 15 seats.

The relatively new leftist party Jaunais Centrs, led by Rīga’s Vice Mayor Sergejs Dolgopolovs, took five seats.

Rīga’s new mayor may be Aivars Aksenoks, who led the Jaunais laiks ticket.

In the northwestern port city of Ventspils, the party of incumbent Mayor Aivars Lembergs, Latvijai un Ventspilij, took 72 percent of the vote. Jaunais laiks was second with just 10.8 percent of the vote. The Ventspils City Council has 11 seats.

In the other major western port, Liepāja, the local Liepājas partija won 38 percent of the vote. The city council has 15 seats.

Voters in the eastern city of Daugavpils gave 35.8 percent of ballots to Latvijas ceļš, a significant shift in power. Another 29.8 percent went to Latgales gaisma. The Daugavpils City Council has 15 seats, of which five had been controlled by Latgales gaisma, but only one by Latvijas ceļš.

In Rēzekne, 31.7 percent of votes went to Jaunais centrs, one of the new party’s best showings. The council has 11 seats.