A new generation, born in an independent state, has grown up in Latvia and Azerbaijan, and they are learning about our common history within the Soviet system from their families and literature. It is important that today’s youth study the recent history of their country and realise that independence cannot be taken for granted and must be defended, emphasised Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, in a meeting with the Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan (Milli Majlis) Sahiba Gafarova in Vienna.

There are no easy answers to the unprecedented challenges we are facing during the current COVID‑19 pandemic. At this time, women around the world need to be thanked for their relentless care for their families and loved ones, said Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, on Monday, 6 September, in her address at the 13th Summit of Women Speakers of Parliament held in Vienna and dedicated to women's efforts in the fight against the COVID‑19 pandemic.

On Thursday, 2 September, the Saeima adopted in the third reading amendments to the Immigration Law, including the provisions for ensuring the right to employment for foreigners who have submitted an application requesting the status of a refugee or alternative status in Latvia, if the decision regarding the granting of such status has not been made within three months from the submission of the application.

Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima and Head of the Latvian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), confirmed Latvia’s strong support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Crimea, while visiting the occupied Crimean peninsula in Ukraine. Ukraine can count on the support of Latvia, and we will continue the policy of non-recognition of the annexation of Crimea, emphasised Lībiņa-Egnere.

"30 years ago, having our own state was our goal, our dream, and our future. Today, nothing has changed. Our state is the greatest treasure that belongs to every one of us. Everything we do for our state is for the future of our children and our nation. Let us never forget it. Let us do everything to strengthen it, because it is all in our hands," said Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, at the opening of the conference "A Dream Fulfilled: Freedom and Independence," dedicated to the 30th anniversary of restoring the independent State of Latvia.

On Sunday, 22 August, the Baltic Assembly Prize in Science was awarded to Roberts Eglītis, physicist and Member of the Latvian Academy of Science, for research on “Theoretical predictions of new materials for energy storage and harvesting”.

In our second century of independence, Latvia and Estonia are close and like-minded friends. We must continue to stay together on our Baltic and European way, underlined Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, in Tallinn on Friday, 20 August, while congratulating Estonia on the 30th anniversary of restoring the country's independence.

The eastern border of the Baltic States is also the external border of the entire European Union (EU). Now that we are subjected to a hybrid attack carried out by the Belarusian regime at our border, we expect the EU to take more active steps in providing additional EU funding to reinforce our external border. Latvia would also appreciate an increased presence of the EU Frontex Agency in our country, emphasised Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, after meeting with David Maria Sassoli, President of the European Parliament, who was on an official visit to Latvia on Thursday, 19 August.

"The developments on Latvia's and Lithuania's border with Belarus are not a migration crisis; they constitute a hybrid attack on the European Union and NATO," said Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, during her visit to the Lithuania‑Belarus border together with the other Baltic Speakers on Wednesday, 18 August.