International rights group Human Rights Watch this week sent a letter to Latvia's legislators and president urging them to support legislation that would grant formal recognition for same-sex partners.

In the letter, Boris O. Dittrich, advocacy director of the Human Rights Watch, also praises President Valdis Zalter's recent comments reported by the media in which Zalter said "it is a duty of the state to help" same sex couples, and that the matter should be debated in parliament.