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“This June European Union (EU) should start accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania”, underlined Speaker Mūrniece at the annual Conference of Speakers of the European Union Parliaments that took place 8-9 April in Vienna, recognising the commitment of both countries to reforms and the progress they have achieved so far.

“The EU’s focus on the Western Balkans is of great significance for the region to maintain its European perspective, as well as the ability to counter external threats and disinformation”, said Speaker Mūrniece inviting Serbia and Kosovo to follow the example of North Macedonia and Albania.

Mūrniece added that the Eastern Partnership should remain a priority of the EU foreign policy. This year marks the first decade of the Eastern Partnership, and this occasion calls for focusing on the achievements and the next goals of the Eastern Partnership, said the Speaker.

Currently, Ukraine is still at the centre of attention of the Eastern Partnership, emphasised Mūrniece. There is no reason to believe that the security situation has improved, as shown by the refusal of Russia to honour the Minsk Agreement and the events in the Sea of Azov last year. “We in Latvia realise that Ukraine’s security is our security, and we cannot and must not keep silent about it”, said Speaker Mūrniece, emphasising that it is important that Ukraine continues its reform path also in combating corruption and in the justice sector.

“Security starts with people’s minds, and we need to defend our democratic values. We see that all of us, including those living in the EU, the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries, are the target of the information war waged by the Kremlin,” added Mūrniece, calling for timely and due implementation of the EU action plan against disinformation.

The Speaker also expressed her support for macro-regional strategies elaborated by the EU. “This year marks the first decade of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, and I can confirm that the chosen approach works as a good coordination mechanism to plan Europe’s regional development, encourage cross-border cooperation and support pooling of resources to implement the region’s priorities,” said Mūrniece. In addition, the Speaker expressed satisfaction with the cooperation between the Baltic Sea Region Strategy and the Danube Strategy, and invited representatives of parliaments to actively engage and make the regional strategies more visible.

The Conference of Speakers of the European Union Parliaments takes place every spring and it is hosted by the member state which held the EU Presidency in the second half of the previous year. This year, the conference was organised by Austria, which held the EU Presidency during the second half of 2018.

Every year, the conference brings together Speakers from many EU member states and candidate countries. Members of European Parliament also take part in the conference.

Saeima Press Service