On Thursday, 24 October, the Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa, met with the President of the French National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, and the Deputy Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Bekir Bozdağ, to discuss strengthening interparliamentary cooperation. The meeting was held within the framework of the Third Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform, which brought together approximately 50 parliamentarians from around the world in Riga to support Ukraine.

During her meeting with the President of the French National Assembly, Mieriņa underscored the importance of prioritising the strengthening of the European Union’s and NATO’s external borders for European security, and she advocated for improvements to the defence procurement system to bolster border security. She also highlighted the Rail Baltica project, emphasising its significance not only for economic integration but also as a strategic asset for military mobility and regional security.

Ms Braun-Pivet praised Latvia’s support for Ukraine and stressed the importance of the international community sending a clear signal to Russia of its unified support for Ukraine.

The Speaker of the Saeima also expressed gratitude to France for its contribution to training French language teachers in Latvia, referring to Latvia's recent decision to replace Russian as a second foreign language in schools with one of the EU’s official languages. Mieriņa further highlighted opportunities to expand bilateral cooperation in the areas of economics, culture, and science.

In her discussion with the Deputy Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, Mieriņa emphasised that, regardless of how self-evident support for Ukraine may appear, it remains essential to continue voicing opposition to Russian aggression and to stand firmly in defence of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. She also noted the importance of strengthening bilateral parliamentary relations.

Mr Bozdağ highlighted the close cooperation between Latvia and Türkiye within NATO and other international organisations, adding that next year marks the centenary of diplomatic relations between Latvia and Türkiye. Both parties agreed on the need to deepen cooperation in tourism and education and discussed the potential for collaboration in the military industry and technology sectors.

The Turkish delegation was also received by the Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, Antoņina Ņenaševa, and the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima, Ināra Mūrniece.

Photos from the meeting with the President of the French National Assembly: https://www.flickr.com/photos/saeima/album/72177720321452730/
Photos from the meeting with the President of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey: https://www.flickr.com/photos/saeima/album/72177720321477769/Terms of
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Saeima Press Service