Christmas is the time when peace and love enter our weary world. This time brings a message of a new life symbolising a brighter and purer world. The Christmas season reminds us that true values transcend worldly cares and that true values lie within ourselves – our faith, hope, love and the strengthening and uplifting moments of togetherness with our loved ones.

Taking into consideration that Latvia’s presidency of the Council of the European Union in the beginning of 2015 will be of national importance and that it will involve not only the government but also cooperation between the legislature and the executive power, on Thursday, 19 December, the political parties represented in the 11th Saeima signed an agreement on the preparation and implementation of Latvia’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.

On Wednesday, 18 December, Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, had an audience with His Holiness Pope Francis.

Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, during her official visit to Italy, met with Pietro Grasso, President of the Senate, whom she urged to deepen the economic cooperation between Latvia and Italy. Āboltiņa noted that Latvia is acceding to the euro area on 1 January 2014, which clearly attests to the country’s macroeconomic stability and its movement towards sustainable development. 

The European Affairs Committee of the Saeima deplores the decision of Ukrainian authorities not to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union at the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius. This was said in the statement on the situation in Ukraine adopted by the Committee unanimously on Friday, 13 December. In the statement, members of the Committee emphasise that Latvia as a full-fledged member state of the UN, OSCE, Council of Europe, EU and NATO that upholds the values of democracy cannot condone the actions of the Ukrainian authorities – breaking into the offices of the parliamentary opposition party – which can be viewed as a threat to parliamentarism.

On Thursday, 12 December, Ojārs Ēriks Kalniņš, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima, issued a statement on the situation in Ukraine.

On behalf of the Latvian parliament, Speaker Solvita Āboltiņa has sent a letter to Max Sisulu, Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of South Africa, expressing condolences on the passing of Nelson Mandela.

On Thursday, 5 December, the Saeima in the final reading supported amendments to the Immigration Law that introduce changes in conditions regarding issuance of temporary residence permits for foreigners who invest money in Latvian companies.

On Thursday, 5 December, the Saeima adopted in the third and final reading amendments to the Law on Ensuring Activity of the President of Latvia, which envisage changes in the amount of social benefits provided to former Presidents of Latvia.