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On Monday, 20 May, during the opening of the annual Saeima and NGO forum on Stability, Partnership, Development, Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, stressed that it is important for non-governmental organisations to give candid feedback to parliamentarians regarding their work in order to continue collaboration and to pursue common goals, as well as to involve every member of society in the development of our country because non-governmental organisations are a nation’s forum which operates daily.
”I can assure you that cooperation between the Saeima and non-governmental organisations is not merely words; it is a reality,” said the Speaker, expressing her appreciation for the fact that in the course of time, parliament’s dialogue with the non-governmental sector has become more effective, inclusive, open, and responsible.
Speaker Āboltiņa informed the audience that other countries have noticed Latvia’s experience in cooperation with NGOs, which has developed successfully over time. For example, this summer, in the framework of a special programme, representatives from the parliament of Kosovo will visit the Saeima to learn from our experience and get acquainted with cooperation models developed for collaboration between the Saeima and the non-governmental sector.
The Speaker of the Saeima stressed that all issues that are covered during the forum are topical for society and focus on the country’s development. For instance, today discussions will be devoted to possibilities of helping Latvians who have emigrated to return home and to make our country a place where everyone sees opportunities to work and feed their families.
In conclusion, the Speaker of the Saeima invited participants of the forum to talk over and strictly evaluate possible scenarios for future cooperation between the Saeima and the NGOs, as well as to come up with specific ideas for improving this cooperation because development goes hand in hand with a constant self-improvement.
In the opening of the forum, Andris Gobiņš, President of the European Movement – Latvia, emphasised that 2013 is the European Year of Citizens; therefore, one of the main objectives this year in Latvia and Europe at large is to narrow the gap between society and decision makers by jointly addressing socially topical issues.
Gobiņš added that according to studies, more than 60% of Latvia’s population hold the view that national politics can be influenced through NGOs, and approximately 50% believe that Latvia has the power to affect developments in the European Union. He explained that these statistics can be attributed to real achievements – for instance, the cooperation among NGOs, members of the Saeima and members of the European Parliament which resulted in receiving more funds for Latvia’s agricultural sector within the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020.
Photos from the forum are available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/saeima/sets/72157633525324843/with/8757290096/
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Saeima Press Service