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“The coming years will be full of challenges for our countries – Lithuania will undertake the presidency of the Council of the European Union in the second half of this year, while Latvia will assume this task two years later. We must achieve favourable decisions regarding the new Multiannual Financial Framework of the European Union, we must make progress on energy issues, and we must continue to work on transport infrastructure development projects,” Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, noted on Thursday, 10 January, when meeting in the main building of the Saeima with Algirdas Butkevičius, Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania.

Both parties agreed that sharing of experience by the two countries will be very important in preparing for the coming presidencies of the Council of the European Union. “It is crucial for Latvia and Lithuania to cooperate within the framework of their coming presidencies of the Council of the European Union. This is also acknowledged in a statement adopted by the Baltic Assembly last year about the presidencies of the Baltic States according to which Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia resolve to use their presidencies to implement closer regional coordination regarding issues of common interest to all Baltic States,” the Speaker of the Saeima said.

Āboltiņa also emphasised that Latvia wishes to follow Lithuania’s suit in organising the Eastern Partnership Summit. “Unofficially we have reached an agreement with the other partners of our presidency trio – Luxembourg and Italy – that the Eastern Partnership Summit could take place in Latvia during its presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2015,” the Speaker of the Saeima said. In turn, the Lithuanian Prime Minister invited Latvian representatives to attend the Eastern Partnership Summit which will be hosted by Lithuania in November of this year.

The Speaker of the Saeima also said that in the case of a favourable decision, Latvia plans to introduce the euro as of next year. Butkevičius congratulated Latvia on its progress towards joining the euro area and expressed his support regarding this issue, pointing out that it offers many advantages.

When assessing the bilateral relations between the two countries, Āboltiņa stressed: “Cooperation among the Baltic States is a great value in terms of foreign policy; cooperation between Latvia and Lithuania – the only two Balt nations – should be especially treasured”. Furthermore, the Speaker of the Saeima expressed gratification that Latvia has been chosen as the destination for the Lithuanian Prime Minister’s first foreign visit, thus continuing the tradition to which both countries adhere also on the level of speakers of parliament.

In the meeting with the Lithuanian Prime Minister, Āboltiņa characterised the cooperation between both countries as successful on the executive and parliamentary level, and she affirmed Latvia’s interest in establishing even closer cooperation in the coming years. This year’s priorities of the Baltic Assembly were also discussed during the meeting.

Photos from the meeting are available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/saeima/sets/72157632483517259/
When using the material, please give credit to the Saeima Chancellery.

Saeima Press Service