“I can only agree with High Representative Mogherini that the European Union is a global superpower. However, to be a real global player, the EU must look in all directions because we have neighbours in all four directions – north, south, east and west”, said Ojārs Ēriks Kalniņš, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima on Thursday, 5 March as he opened the high-level conference on foreign policy and security in Riga. 

On Thursday, 5 March, Ainars Latkovskis, Chairman of the Defence Committee of the Saeima, opened the second session of a high-level foreign policy and security conference dedicated to better cooperation between the EU and NATO in view of new security challenges. He pointed out that since 22 of EU member states are also members of NATO, these states share one pool of defence resources in order to achieve the military goals of both organisations. Therefore, closer cooperation and coordination between the EU and NATO in areas such as planning of defence capabilities and military training are particularly important. 

International foreign policy experts will gather at the Conference on foreign and defence policy organised by the Saeima. This Interparliamentary Conference for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy held in Riga on 5–6 March is 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.

On 5-6 March in Riga, the Saeima will hold a conference on foreign policy which will gather nearly 300 parliamentarians from EU member states, high officials from the EU and NATO, as well as international foreign policy experts. The Interparliamentary Conference for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the Common Security and Defence Policy 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.

On Monday, 23 February, Aija Barča, Chairperson of the Social and Employment Matters Committee of the Saeima, addressed her counterparts from the parliaments of all the EU member states who had gathered in the Saeima to participate in the Meeting of the Chairpersons of the Committees on Employment and Social Affairs, which is one of the events of the Parliamentary Dimension of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. In her address, Barča emphasised that the regaining of European citizens’ trust depends on professional and effective resolution of social challenges. 

On Monday, 23 February, Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, addressed representatives from the parliaments of all the EU member states who had gathered in the Saeima to discuss social affairs. In her opening address, the Speaker emphasised that social maturity is  revealed  by society’s attitude towards the most vulnerable groups and that the EU member states must join their efforts in finding new and effective ways of including socially vulnerable people in both social life and the labour market.

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.”