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On Friday, 24 October, Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, invited Eiki Nestor, Speaker of the Estonian Parliament, and Loreta Graužinienė, Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament, to Riga for the inauguration of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The invitation was extended during a meeting of speakers of the Baltic parliaments as part of the 33rd Session of the Baltic Assembly hosted in the capital of Estonia, Tallinn.
Speaker Āboltiņa met with her colleagues to discuss the current security challenges faced by the Baltic States. All speakers agreed that it is necessary to expand and strengthen Baltic security cooperation, especially in the light of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
During the meeting, the Speaker of the Saeima informed her colleagues about the priorities of the upcoming Latvian Presidency: competitiveness and growth, enhancing digital potential, and the role of the EU on the global level. Āboltiņa also stressed that parliamentary dimension of the Presidency will include five interparliamentary events hosted in Riga and one meeting organised together with the European Parliament in the capital of Belgium, Brussels.
Speaking of energy cooperation between the Baltic States, the Speaker of the Saeima indicated that the current events in Ukraine confirm the need to promote EU’s energy independence and to develop alternative energy supply routes.
At the same time, she reiterated Latvia’s strong commitment to the construction of gas interconnection between Poland and Lithuania which would physically connect Baltic countries to the EU gas supply grid and greatly diversify gas supplies in the region.
The Speaker Āboltiņa also reaffirmed Latvia’s commitment to continue implementing the Baltic energy market interconnection plan and stressed the importance of further energy interconnections integrating Baltic and Nordic markets, as well as ensuring their effectiveness.
Another topic covered during the meeting was the recently opened NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence in Riga. Speaker Āboltiņa emphasised that the Centre will strengthen the capabilities of the Alliance in the ever-changing information environment. She also reflected on the results of the NATO Summit in Wales and confirmed that Latvia will do everything it can to support the permanent presence of allied forces in the region.
The Speaker of the Saeima concluded by reaffirming Latvia’s support to the Estonian Presidency of the Baltic Council of Ministers and the Baltic Assembly.
Speaker Āboltiņa also pointed out to tangible benefits of cooperation within the Baltic Assembly which include digital signatures and health procurements.
Photos from the meeting are available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/saeima/sets/72157648948629975/
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