On Monday, 23 February, the chairpersons of the Committees on Employment and Social Affairs from all EU member states will gather at the Saeima. This will be one of the six interparliamentary events organised by the Saeima within the framework of the parliamentary dimension of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU.

“When asked how he felt after signing the Minsk Agreement, President Poroshenko replied that Ukraine needs breathing space, at least for a moment, for a week or two. People are worn out by the war,” said Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, after meeting with Petro Poroshenko, President of Ukraine, during her official visit to Ukraine. “The ceasefire is needed for civilians to relocate to safer places, to restore infrastructure, to give people a chance to get food and medical assistance. If the ceasefire holds, people would suffer less and Ukraine would regain its strength.”

“Today everyone’s eyes are fixed on Ukraine in admiration for your courage, your longing for freedom, your desire to preserve the spirit of the Ukrainian land and the sanctity of its borders,” said Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, on Thursday, 12 February, during her official visit to Ukraine at the opening of the concert of the Latvian Radio Choir and the Chamber Orchestra Sinfonietta Rīga held at the National Philharmonic of Ukraine in honour of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Speaker will address the audience in the Ukrainian language.

In order to learn about the everyday work of MPs and staff of the parliament during the Latvian Presidency, on Job Shadow Day, 11 February, almost 350 youths from all over Latvia visited the Saeima as shadows of MPs, ministerial employees, experts and journalists. 

On Wednesday, 4 February, when Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, met with Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament (EP), she emphasised that “attracting public and private investment, creating new jobs, as well as reducing social inequality are essential for Europe’s economic development; they are not only topics for parliamentary discussions but issues that directly affect all Europeans”. She also expressed satisfaction about the long-awaited discussions concerning European Union’s investment plan, or the so-called ”new deal”, within the framework of the EU economic governance conference organised by the Saeima and the EP.

On Wednesday, 4 February, the chairpersons of the Saeima committees who moderated the discussions of a high-level conference on economic and financial governance at the European Parliament emphasised that EU member states and institutions must find sustainable solutions to problems facing the European economy.