On Wednesday, 16 May, Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, met with Andriy Parubiy, Chair of the Ukrainian parliament. Speaker Mūrniece noted that “Latvia has always supported and will continue to support Ukraine both politically and practically. It is crucial to carry on the undertaken reforms in order to further the national development of Ukraine. Latvia will continue to share its reform experience with Ukraine, including in the areas of good governance, corruption prevention, education and agriculture.”
“Security in Ukraine is important for the stability of Europe as a whole,” the Speaker of the Saeima said; “Ukraine can count on Latvia’s continued steadfast support for the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Western partners need to maintain the non-recognition policy regarding Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea. The European Union (EU) must maintain its sanctions against Russia until full implementation of the Minsk Agreements.”
When meeting with Volodymyr Groysman, Prime Minister of Ukraine, Speaker Mūrniece stated: “The Ukraine-EU Association Agreement and the visa-free regime provides the citizens of Ukraine with certain benefits from the country’s cooperation with the EU. Now Ukraine must make every effort to implement the Association Agreement in practice.”
The Speaker of the Saeima was pleased to note that despite its complicated security, political and economic situation, Ukraine has managed to further reforms. It is crucial to maintain the pace of reforms. The reform of the judicial system and strengthening of the anti-corruption agencies is of paramount importance. A more active fight against corruption would facilitate a more favourable business environment for foreign companies and attract investments.
“Many Latvian businesses operate in Ukraine, and we are interested in developing ever deeper economic relations,” Speaker Mūrniece said; “Ukraine is already an important trade partner for Latvia, and we are pleased that last year our trade turnover grew by 30%. At the same time, the size of Ukraine’s market and the opportunities it holds offers still a far greater potential for economic cooperation.”
During her visit, the Speaker of the Saeima also met with representatives of the Latvian diaspora and Latvian experts working in international institutions and projects in Ukraine and involved in the the country’s reform process.
The Speaker of the Saeima is on an official visit to Ukraine until 18 May. She is accompanied by Ainārs Mežulis, Head of the Saeima Group for Interparliamentary Relations with Ukraine, and two members of the group – Aleksejs Loskutovs and Edvīns Šnore.
Saeima Press Service