The Latvian delegation is visiting Ukraine to express moral support and attest to Latvia’s constant readiness to give practical assistance in support of Ukraine’s aspirations regarding Euro-integration, emphasised Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, on Friday, 13 February, when meeting with Volodymyr Groysman, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, during her official visit to Ukraine.
“Ukraine is in a complex situation; nevertheless, in spite of that and because of that it has to continue the reforms that have been launched. That is the main prerequisite for Ukraine’s closer integration into the European Union. A stable and strong Ukraine is the best response to Russia’s destabilising actions,” noted the Speaker of the Saeima and reaffirmed Latvia’s readiness to continue sharing its experience in implementing reforms.
Speaker Mūrniece and Speaker Groysman discussed the agreement reached in Minsk yesterday, and they particularly stressed that it is essential to actually implement it.
Ināra Mūrniece emphasised that relations between Latvia and Ukraine are based not only on friendship, mutual understanding and cooperation on the level of public administration but also on the desire of Latvians to help Ukrainians.
Latvia is closely observing the developments in Ukraine, and it wants to support Ukrainians. The Speaker of the Saeima has undertaken to be the patroness of a benefit concert organised by Latvian NGOs for children who have suffered in the conflict in Ukraine. Speaker Mūrniece invited her counterpart to attend this concert, which will be held on 6 July in the Dzintari Concert Hall in Jūrmala.
With regard to interparliamentary cooperation, the Speaker of the Verknovna Rada thanked Latvia for being among the first states to ratify the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. The Speaker of the Saeima, in turn, informed her counterpart that within the framework of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union the chairpersons of COSAC met in the Saeima earlier this year and adopted a statement on the situation in Ukraine which reaffirmed support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.
Ināra Mūrniece also noted that the situation in Ukraine will continue to be in Latvia’s focus of attention, and she invited the delegation of the Ukrainian parliament to take part in the Interparliamentary Conference for the Common
Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy that is scheduled to take place in March in Riga.
After meeting with the Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada, the Latvian delegation laid flowers at the Maidan Nezalezhnosti and lit a symbolic commemorative candle by the Holodomor Genocide Memorial.
From 12 to 14 February, the Speaker of the Saeima is on an official visit to Ukraine. In Kiev, Speaker Mūrniece is scheduled to meet with Petro Poroshenko, President of Ukraine, and to take part in the ceremonial opening of the renovated premises of the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Ukraine.
On her visit, the Speaker of the Saeima is accompanied by Lolita Čigāne, Chairperson of the European Affairs Committee; Rihards Kols, Deputy Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee; as well as Ainārs Mežulis, Head of the Saeima group for interparliamentary relations with Ukraine.
Saeima Press Service