Parliament in Latvia has passed a law which will make Latvian the only language of instruction in state schools.

The change will be phased in over the next ten years, with secondary schools given a deadline of the year two-thousand- and-four.

The country's media law has also been amended to ensure that all films broadcast on television are dubbed in Latvian or given Latvian sub-titles.

The moves follow a change to the constitution earlier this month declaring Latvian the country's only state language.

About forty per cent of the population are ethnic Russians and correspondents say the new laws are likely to increase accusations of discrimination from minority Russians.