Latvia maintained political stability in 2012. The austerity measures have caused strong opposition from a part of social groups, but it is unlikely to lead to large-scale social unrest. Compared with that in the year 2011, Latvia is expected to experience a slight decrease in the economic growth in 2012. Despite the crisis in the euro zone, Latvia is still taking a positive attitude towards accession to the euro zone, with Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis announcing that Latvia will join the euro zone on January 1, 2014. Latvia expects to develop relations with Russia based on the principles of international law, but it is almost impossible to get around the issue of the ethnic Russian minority. <<