During a visit to Ukraine, the Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa accompanied by a delegation of parliamentarians visited the Chernihiv Oblast to meet local residents and get acquainted with the reconstruction works that are being carried out in this northern region of Ukraine using the funds allocated by the Latvian state. Latvia continues to provide targeted support for the reconstruction of infrastructure damaged by the Russian invasion. This year our country has allocated 5.1 million euros to reconstruction of the region.
The Speaker and members of the Saeima visited the Chernihiv Oblast Military Administration and met the Governor Vyacheslav Chaus. “The war is not over yet, but I admire the strength of your people and the strength of your spirit to accomplish great deeds despite everything, despite the fact that missiles are still flying above your heads. I can reassure you that our assistance to the Ukrainian people will never end," said Speaker Mieriņa.
In the presence of Latvian parliamentarians, the renovated premises of the Chernihiv Saint Olga Women’s Centre were opened. It is already the second rehabilitation centre in the Chernihiv Oblast, which our country has been financing. The project is implemented by “Centre MARTA” in cooperation with Ukrainian non-governmental organisations “Eleos-Ukraine” and “Chernihiv Network”.
“Physical scars heal after a month, but the scars that have been left in our souls and hearts will not heal for a long time,” said Speaker Mieriņa, presenting the Centre with the Latvian national flag, which was used to welcome the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his recent visit to Latvia. “May this flag always remind you of friendship, that you are not alone in this world, you have a lot of allies, and also the people of Latvia are with you,” said the Speaker of the Saeima at the opening of the Centre.
The delegation of the Saeima also visited the 19th kindergarten building of Chernihiv, which suffered from the Russian missile exploding in the playground. With Latvia’s financial participation, major repairs will be carried out here – building insulation, interior repairs, installation of heating and lighting systems, and other works. Within the framework of the project, five social infrastructure objects are being renovated, including the insulation of several educational institution buildings, and improvement of the water supply system, as well as the restoration of the catering block of the Chernihiv Regional Children’s Hospital. The project is implemented in cooperation with the United Nations Development Programme.
Latvian parliamentarians also visited the village of Yahidne, including a school where the occupiers held more than 300 people in the cellar for almost a month. Yahidne village was the first place where Latvia started reconstruction works already in the winter of 2022, supplying building materials for the construction of several destroyed houses. The project is implemented by the Latvian business movement “Entrepreneurs for Peace” in cooperation with Ivanivka village Council and Chernihiv Oblast Reconstruction Agency.
MPs also visited the Centre of the international mine clearing organisation “Halo Trust”, which is co-financed by Latvia. Due to Russia’s aggression, Ukraine is the most mined country in the world.
With Russia launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, part of the Chernihiv Oblast bordering Russia and Belarus temporarily came under the control of the occupying army. During the first month of war, the Russian army killed around 700 civilians in the region.
In 2023, 24 civilians died in the region as a result of the Russian aggression, including two children, 241 civilians injured, including 17 children, and more than 13 500 sites destroyed or damaged. A large part of the area is still mined.
A delegation from the Speaker of the Saeima and the Parliament has visited Ukraine. Speaker Mieriņa is accompanied by the Speaker of the Saeima Antoņina Nenaševa, the Chairman of the Defence, Interior and Corruption Prevention Committee Raimonds Bergmanis, the Head of the National Security Commission Ainars Latkovskis, as well as the Head of the Group of Deputies to promote cooperation with the Ukrainian Parliament Jānis Skrastiņš and member of the Group Ināra Mūrniece.
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Saeima Press Service