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The developments on the Belarusian border are not a migration crisis, but rather a hybrid operation planned and organised by an authoritarian regime. Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland are like gatekeepers stopping an attack on the entire EU, emphasised Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, on Monday, 29 November, at the conference of the Speakers of Parliament of the Baltic States and the Nordic countries (NB8), taking place in Copenhagen.

The Speaker of the Saeima acknowledged the necessity for Western countries to have a common understanding of the events on the Belarusian border. The people involved are not refugees – they are migrants aiming to reach certain welfare states in Western Europe. The EU must step up pressure and impose even tougher sanctions on the regime of Alexander Lukashenko. In addition, the EU must invest in building and equipping its eastern border.

At the same time, the international community needs to closely monitor the activities of the Russian army near the Ukrainian border, given the build-up of troops and military equipment observed in the area, said Mūrniece.  

The Baltic and Nordic Speakers also discussed the practice of parliamentary scrutiny in the region's Parliaments and deliberated on a more active involvement of the public in the parliamentary work.

The NB8 format brings together five Nordic countries – Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden – and the three Baltic States – Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Prime ministers, parliamentarians, ministers, and other officials meet on a regular basis in the NB8 format.

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Saeima Press Service