In Latvia, Russian Influence Wanes

Russia's influence in Latvia may be waning as the Baltic country continues to gravitate toward Europe. On March 7, Latvian Culture Minister Zaneta Jaunzeme-Grende issued a statement urging Latvian citizens to speak Latvian, not Russian, when addressing the media. Earlier in the week, Riga requested that the EU Commission assess Latvia's readiness to join the eurozone by Jan. 1, 2014. While Latvia's accession to the eurozone is not guaranteed, these moves show that the Latvian government currently would rather ingratiate itself with Europe than with Russia.