On Thursday, 25 July, the Education, Culture and Science Committee of the Saeima met with representatives from the Chancery of the President, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Finance, state property management company Valsts Nekustamie Īpašumi, State Inspection for Heritage Protection, State Police, museums and construction companies to discuss the Riga Castle issue and agreed that it is necessary to urgently restore the  Riga Castle after the fire and to ensure as soon as possible that the cultural and historic heritage is protected.

Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on Thursday, 25 July, sent letters to Pío García Escudero, President of the Senate of the Spanish parliament, and Jesús Posada, President of the Congress of Deputies, offering her condolences in regard to the tragic railway accident in Spain.

During the first six months of this year, the Saeima has received almost 3,500 submissions, including three collective submissions. Six submissions addressed to the Saeima were submitted via internet portal www.latvija.lv.

The decision made today by the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) to invite Latvia to join the euro area is significant not only politically and economically. This decision creates the need to explain to society the process of euro introduction, emphasised Chairperson Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica during today’s meeting of the European Affairs Committee.

On Tuesday, 9 July, the Saeima adopted in the third and final reading amendments to the Construction Law which provide for major changes in the current regulations that will significantly expedite the construction process and decrease the administrative burden for constructors.

“Developing close relations between the Baltic States and Germany is a foreign policy priority for our country and myself as the Speaker of the Saeima. Latvia is interested in strengthening our strategic cooperation at all levels,” said Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on Monday, 8 July, when meeting with Joachim Gauck, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, in the Saeima.

“Lithuania is the first of the Baltic States to assume the EU presidency. Latvia will preside over the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2015, and Estonia in the beginning of 2018. Since the regaining of independence, the Baltic States have proved to be responsible partners in the international arena,” said Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, at the solemn session of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania on the occasion of the opening of the Lithuanian presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On Thursday, 20 June, the Saeima in the final reading adopted urgent amendments to the Law on Ķemeri National Park, granting the Ķemeri sanatorium a special legal status.

From now on, the ban on using flags, coats of arms, anthems and symbols, including stylised ones, of the former USSR and Nazi Germany will also apply to public entertainment and festive events. This is stipulated by the amendments to the Law on Safety during Public Entertainment and Festive Events that the Saeima adopted in the final reading on Thursday, 20 June.