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On Tuesday, 19 December, the Saeima, the European Commission, and the European Parliament Liaison Office in Latvia signed a Memorandum of Understanding on strategic partnership. The aim of the Memorandum is to jointly raise awareness and educate society about important matters concerning Latvia’s membership in the European Union (EU), promote broader public participation in EU-related discussions, and inform about the role of national parliaments in EU-level decision-making.

The Memorandum was signed by Edmunds Cepurītis, Chair of the European Affairs Committee, on behalf of the 14^th Saeima; Zane Petre, Head of the European Commission Representation in Latvia, on behalf of the European Commission; and Marta Rībele, Head of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Latvia, on behalf of the European Parliament.

Cepurītis underlined that next year would mark the 20^th anniversary since Latvia's accession to the EU. "This is one of the topics on which we have already started cooperation. We stress that this is a special year for Latvia and we encourage celebrating it as widely as possible," said the Chair of the European Affairs Committee. "It is an opportunity to explain both the benefits of EU membership and the ways each of us can get involved in decision-making," urged Cepurītis. The parties expressed their appreciation for the ongoing cooperation and mutual coordination and voiced the hope that the Memorandum would strengthen them further.

In the Memorandum, the parties define the overarching objective of the strategic partnership: to develop dialogue with the EU population by raising awareness about the EU, its work and institutions and by deepening knowledge and understanding about the aims, structure, and achievements of Latvia’s membership in the EU.

The signing of the Memorandum also establishes a strategic partnership to coordinate trilateral cooperation aimed at explaining the importance of Latvia's EU membership. The parties agreed to highlight the impact of national parliaments on EU decision-making and to explain the work of the European Parliament and the European Commission.

In addition, the parties to the Memorandum are committed to increasing public awareness and developing dialogue about EU issues important to Latvia, as well as engaging in public diplomacy, including the promotion of Latvia’s experience and best practice as an EU member, and encouraging the participation of civil society and local governments in discussions on EU affairs.

To achieve these objectives, the parties have established the Strategic Partnership Coordination Council, set to meet at least three times per year.

A memorandum of this kind was first signed during the 12^th Saeima. 

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Saeima Press Service