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"As neighbours of aggressor state Russia, we welcome and appreciate Finland's decision to join NATO," said Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, during her meeting with Marja Riitta Korpivaara, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Finland to the Republic of Latvia, who paid her farewell call to the Parliament of Latvia on Wednesday, 10 August. 

Speaker Mūrniece stated that Finland’s accession to NATO will have a positive impact on the security environment in the Baltic Sea region, NATO's Northern Flank, and Europe as a whole, as well as strengthen and broaden cooperation between the countries. The Finnish Ambassador thanked the Latvian Parliament for swiftly ratifying the NATO accession protocol for Finland. 

"Ever since Latvia regained its independence, Finland has been significantly contributing to developing our armed forces and military capacity," said the Speaker of the Saeima, highlighting the close cooperation between both countries and their shared view of the security situation in the region. 

Both parties agreed that Finland and Latvia have developed close cooperation not only regionally, but also in the Baltic—Nordic (NB8) format. Both parties also shared a similar view on the need to restrict the issuance of tourist visas to citizens of Russia until it stops the hostilities in Ukraine. 

The Speaker of the Saeima and the Finnish Ambassador also discussed the reintroduction of military conscription in Latvia. Speaker Mūrniece appreciated the opportunity to learn about the Finnish experience in developing a compulsory military service. 

While discussing economic cooperation, the Speaker of the Saeima highly appreciated the partnership between Latvian and Finnish companies in the public and private sector. Both parties highlighted the need to continue developing close cooperation in the energy sector in order to achieve energy independence in the region. 

The Speaker of the Saeima appreciated the Ambassador's personal contribution to strengthening the bilateral relations between Latvia and Finland and thanked her for the promotion of political dialogue. 

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Saeima Press Service