On Thursday, 11 February, the Saeima adopted in the final reading amendments to the Law on Participation of the National Armed Forces of Latvia in International Operations to modernise and specify the regulation on the participation of the Latvian armed forces in military operations and activities.

In a statement issued by representatives from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Georgia, Poland, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), MPs condemn violence against peaceful protesters in Russia kindled by the detention of Aleksei Navalny, and call for immediate release of Navalny and an investigation into his poisoning. 

On Thursday, 4 February, the Saeima adopted in the final reading amendments to the Protected Services Law to significantly curtail the distribution of illegal Russian satellites and, subsequently, decrease the number of illegal television distributors.

On Thursday, 4 February, the Saeima issued a statement on the sentencing of Aleksei Navalny and the suppression and persecution of the democratic opposition, civil society and the media in the Russian Federation. In the statement, Latvian parliamentarians call for immediate and unconditional release of Mr Navalny, as well as an investigation into his poisoning.

On Friday, 29 January, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima adopted a statement On the detention of of Alexei Navalny, oppression and persecution of democratic opposition in the Russian Federation. In the Statement, MPs call for an immediate and unconditional release of Aleksei Navalny and an investigation into the poisoning.

We cannot take the fruits of European and transatlantic cooperation for granted. For this reason, we must participate in multilateral debates on the future of Europe. It is our responsibility. The Saeima, along with other national parliaments, is willing to actively participate in the Conference on the Future of Europe. People expect tangible results from European cooperation, said Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, in her speech at the annual foreign policy debate of the Saeima on Thursday, 28 January. 

Even though it sometimes seemed the world had stopped due to the pandemic and remote work presented new challenges, Latvia’s foreign policy and its parliamentary dimension turned out to be unusually intensive last year, said Rihards Kols, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima, at the annual foreign policy debate of the Saeima on Thursday, 28 January. 

On Thursday, 28 January, during the annual foreign policy debate, Vita Anda Tērauda, Chair of the European Affairs Committee, urged Latvia to protect democracy as it participates in shaping the EU foreign policy, referencing the alarming developments in Belarus and Russia. 

On January 19, in a joint statement, the Chairs of the Foreign Affairs Committees of the Baltic States condemn the detention of Aleksei Navalny by the Russian authorities, upon his return to Russia, in what is clear to be yet another attempt by the Russian authorities to silence the opposition and critical voices. As set out in the Statement, the Russian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release Mr Navalny and ensure his safety.

On Monday, 18 January, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima issued a statement on the upcoming Men’s Ice Hockey World Championship, refusing to co-host the Championship together with Belarus and reaffirming Latvia’s preparedness to host the Championship in Riga, noted Rihards Kols, Chair of the Committee.