Press releases
On 5 and 6 December, members of the Saeima will visit Brussels and defend Latvia’s interests regarding the next Multiannual Financial Framework of the EU. The Latvian delegation will insist on altering the unequal distribution of direct payments to farmers and will object to proposed cuts in the cohesion funding available to Latvia.
On Friday, 25 November, at its 30th Session the Baltic Assembly (BA) adopted a Resolution in which the parliamentarians of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia call for developing a fair Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union (EU) and for no reduction of cohesion funds which would decrease opportunities to even regional development programmes and would endanger successfully launched investment programmes.
On Friday, 25 November, during the 30th Session of the Baltic Assembly held in Tallinn, Estonia, the Final Document was adopted stating that the priority for cooperation next year among parliamentarians of the Baltic States will be the enhancement of integration and stability of financial markets of the Baltic and Nordic countries.
Today, 25 November, Speaker of the Saeima Solvita Āboltiņa met with her Lithuanian counterpart Irena Degutienė in Tallinn. During the meeting both agreed that regardless of certain differences of opinion between Latvia and Lithuania, mutual cooperation is essential.
“Baltic cooperation is just as relevant now as it was 20 years ago,” said Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima in her address to the Baltic Assembly (BA) in Tallinn on Friday, 25 November. This year marks the 20th anniversary of founding the Baltic parliamentary cooperation body.
On Wednesday, 22 November, the Minister for Defence Artis Pabriks and members of the Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee of the Saeima agreed that Latvia is interested in continuing cooperation with NATO in policing Baltic airspace; therefore, it is necessary to request NATO to continue this policing after 2014, when the current agreement expires.
Honourable President of Latvia,
On Wednesday, 16 November, the European Affairs Committee agreed to draft a declaration that will call on the European Union (EU) to reject the planned cap on absorption of EU cohesion funds. The Committee also might evaluate whether the distribution of cohesion funds proposed by the European Committee complies with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, and, if necessary, together with the parliaments of other member states call to correct it.
On Wednesday, 16 November, in the Saeima in a cordial and emotional atmosphere youths learned about the history of Latvia’s rebirth – of how brave decisions led to the proclamation of our independence from the Soviet Union.
On 11 November, Lāčplēsis Day, we pay tribute to our national heroes – courageous Latvian soldiers who believed in the Latvian state so firmly that an overwhelming power was powerless before their living idea. That was a special generation that for the first time had a chance to win and defend freedom for its land with its own hands, passion, faith and love. Today we also pay homage to all the sons and daughters of Latvia who have fallen in various battles until the present day. They fulfilled their mission with a clear vision about a free and independent Latvia.
