On Monday, 1 June, Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, addressed the participants of the plenary meeting of the LIII COSAC (Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union), which is held in Riga 1-2 June and gathers nearly 300 European parliamentarians, including members of the European Parliament, as well as high public officials and experts on European affairs. “The Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU is facing several challenges, including the Kremlin’s aggression in Ukraine and the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean. These challenges are testing EU’s unity. Therefore, we had to react quickly during these six months. We and Europe as a whole had to respond swiftly to challenges such as the terrorist attacks in Paris, Belgium and Copenhagen, as well as the Kremlin’s aggression in Ukraine”, said the Speaker. 

“The Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the entire EU has demonstrated its ability to face challenges during these six months. This is also attested by the College of Commissioners, which has announced legislative proposals in areas that require immediate action. These include the situation in Ukraine, the fight against terrorism, the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean, as well as several issues regarding entrepreneurship”, said Lolita Čigāne, Chairperson of the European Affairs Committee of the Saeima. 

Political processes need fresh air to be successful, and that can be supplied by a civil society characterised by maturity, self-respect and active civic involvement,  said Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, on Friday, 29 May, at the opening of the annual Saeima and NGO forum on Involvement, Equality and Solidarity – Modern Values for Security and Freedom.  

On 1 and 2 June, the plenary meeting of the LIII COSAC (Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union) will gather in Riga nearly 300 European parliamentarians, including members of the European Parliament, as well as high public officials and experts on European affairs. This will be one of the six events hosted by the Saeima within the framework of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, has accepted the invitation of the Latvian Rotary Club Chapter Rīdzene to become patroness of the benefit concert for Ukrainian children. Proceeds and donations from the Children of War concert on 6 July at the Dzintari Concert Hall will be used for Ukrainian children’s relief. All members of the Saeima will be invited to attend the event.  

On Thursday, 7 May, the Saeima endorsed the concept of the proposed Repatriation Law aimed at encouraging citizens of Latvia, as well as people of Latvian or Liv origin and their families to return to Latvia by offering them support for moving and settling in.

“Today we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, and we are fully committed to prevent this brutal history from ever repeating. Europe is witnessing ongoing Russia’s warfare in Ukraine which has already taken more than 6,000 lives. Therefore, we have to learn from the past – we should not leave Ukraine fighting alone. If we hesitate too long, we risk having much bigger conflict on our hands eventually,” said Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, on Thursday, 7 May, during her working visit to Poland where she participated in a discussion on the legacy and lessons learned from World War II in the context of European integration organised by the European Solidarity Centre.