On Monday, 17 January, when meeting with Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Speaker Solvita Āboltiņa stressed that the regular exchange in high-level political visits and positive dynamics of economic cooperation attest to strong and friendly relations between Latvia and Azerbaijan.

On Friday, 14 January, Speaker Solvita Āboltiņa met with members of the European Parliament (MEPs) elected from Latvia. During the meeting it was concluded that closer cooperation between members of the Saeima and MEPs is needed for advocacy of Latvia’s interests.

On Wednesday, 12 January, during her official visit to Lithuania, Speaker Solvita Āboltiņa attended the Bonfire of Freedom ceremony held next to the Lithuanian National Radio and Television building where she addressed the participants of the Barricades of 1991 and the people of Lithuania. Speaker Āboltiņa showed her respect to the people of Lithuania by giving a part of her speech in Lithuanian. 

After meeting with officials of the European Parliament, chairmen of the Saeima committees concluded that the EU’s policy regarding direct payments in agriculture will be changed in favour of Latvian farmers; however, discussions will continue on the method for calculating allocations and specific amounts of funds.

The Baltic States are facing challenges that need to be addressed at the regional level, thus strengthening of cooperation with the closest neighbouring countries should be a priority. This was emphasised by Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, during the official lunch with Irena Degutienė, Speaker of the Lithuanian parliament on Wednesday, 12 January.