On Thursday, 6 September, the Saeima adopted amendments to the Citizenship Law in the second reading; these amendments will enable Latvian expatriates to acquire dual citizenship, Latvians in exile and their descendants to retain their citizenship, and ethnic Latvians and Livs permanently residing outside Latvia to be granted citizenship. The amendments will also set forth how citizenship is granted to children born in Latvia of non-citizens and to children born abroad into families of Latvian citizens.
Press releases
Within the framework of the International Parliamentary Scholarship programme, two German students are trainees at the Saeima until 22 September. The youths will have a chance to get acquainted with the work of the members of parliament, parliamentary groups and committees. They will also attend lectures at the University of Latvia.
On 28 September, the Saeima will participate in Open Door Day for the fifth time and will welcome guests to the main building of the Saeima, where they will have the chance to receive information on opportunities to get involved in the legislative process, to see the interior and architecture of the building, as well as to find out more about the daily routine of MPs.
Speaker of the Saeima opens an exhibition comparing Latvia’s cultural and natural heritage with UNESCO’s World Heritage (06.09.2012.)
On Thursday, 6 September, at the opening of an exhibition “The World @ Your Library – Exploring UNESCO’s World Heritage” in the Grand Vestibule of the Saeima, Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, stressed that our cultural and natural treasures are a unique heritage for Latvia and the world and that libraries are sources of information about it.
On Wednesday, 5 September, during the Committee meeting, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Chairperson of the European Affairs Committee of the Saeima, stressed: “During the six months of the Cyprus presidency, regarding the distribution of EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework for 2012-2020, Latvia has to focus on four specific priorities: maintaining cohesion funding at least in the current amount, increasing direct payments of the common agricultural policy, financing in the field of transport, and seeking investment opportunities for research and science in Latvia”.
Speaker of the Saeima Solvita Āboltiņa meets with the new U.S. Ambassador to Latvia Mark Pekala (05.09.2012.)
On Tuesday, 4 September, Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, met with Mark Pekala, the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Latvia. In welcoming her guest to the Saeima, Āboltiņa emphasised that this year marks the 90th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Latvia and the USA and that parliamentary cooperation has played a crucial role over the decades. Latvia considers the USA to be a strategic partner; therefore, it is important to ensure close cooperation at the political level, as well as in the business environment and the security and defence sectors.
Autumn session of the Saeima to commence on 4 September (04.09.2012.)
On 4 September the Saeima will commence its autumn session of 2012, which entails convening regular plenary sittings, elaborating draft laws and scrutinising the work of the government.
Legal Affairs Committee supports amendments to Citizenship Law to be considered in second reading (29.08.2012.)
On Tuesday, 28 August, the Legal Affairs Committee of the Saeima supported amendments to the Citizenship Law to be considered in the second reading; these amendments will enable Latvian expatriates to acquire dual citizenship, Latvians in exile and their descendants to retain their citizenship, and ethnic Latvians and Livs permanently residing outside Latvia to be granted citizenship. The amendments will also set forth how citizenship is granted to children born in Latvia of non-citizens and to children born abroad into families of Latvian citizens.
At decisive moments, the people of Latvia have been able to unite in the name of common goals and to put their state and its future above everything else.
Saeima’s profile on Twitter has five thousand followers (14.08.2012.)
This week, the number of followers of the Saeima’s profile on Twitter - @Jekaba11 - reached 5,000. Since the new website of the Saeima was launched in 2010, the number of people visiting the website of the Saeima or its profiles on social networks has increased significantly.