In commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the tragic events of 11 September, Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, sent a letter to John Boehner, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
“On this day, we commemorate the victims of 11 September terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania. Our thoughts are with the children, relatives and colleagues of the victims. The lost lives revealed the dangerous and inhuman character of international terrorism and made us realise that terrorism cannot be combated singlehandedly,” indicates Speaker Āboltiņa. She emphasises that “therefore, it is important to join our efforts in international security organisations such as NATO. It is also important to maintain close relations with allies – Latvia and the U.S. serve as a good example to.”
“As a trustworthy ally of the United States and a member state of NATO, Latvia has contributed and will continue to contribute to the fight against international terrorism. It has introduced multilateral counter-terrorism instruments, as well as strengthened its national counter-terrorism capabilities. Our soldiers, together with the American and other allied forces, are taking part in stabilising the situation in Afghanistan and renewing the country on whose territory the terrorists involved in attacks of 11 September were once trained. It is important for us as allies to perform our duties in Afghanistan to the end,” highlights Āboltiņa.
Speaker Āboltiņa admits that “the terrorist attacks of 11 September were a shock to all of us; they created fear for the future and for our security. Events of that day historically changed the international environment and global security. The terrorists’ aim was to undermine the existing global order; however, awareness of a common threat consolidated the international community and united it in a joint fight against terrorism. On 12 September 2001, for the first time in the history of NATO, Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty – the mechanism of collective defence of the Alliance – was invoked. This decision clearly demonstrated the solidarity and unity of the Transatlantic Alliance.”
“During these days, the United States of America and the entire world commemorate the tragic terrorist acts of 11 September. Ten years have elapsed since 11 September 2001, when the terrorist organisation al-Qaeda committed an attack, thus taking the lives of thousands of people and posing a challenge for the entire democratic world and international security,” indicates Āboltiņa in her letter.
“Global terrorism has become one of the most serious security threats in the modern world because it endangers the lives of innocent people and divides societies. It is important to continue implementing practical measures and strengthening international cooperation in the fight against terrorism within the framework of international organisations,” urges Speaker Āboltiņa.
Saeima Press Service