On Friday, 18 October, parliamentarians of the Baltic States gathered in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, at the 43rd Session of the Baltic Assembly, to discuss important regional matters, strengthen cooperation among the three countries and beyond, and agree on priorities for the coming year. A safeguarded, prosperous, and innovative Baltic region was set as the main cooperation priority.

On Thursday, 17 October, film director Dāvis Sīmanis received the Baltic Assembly (BA) Prize for the Arts at the award ceremony in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Sīmanis received the Prize for his internationally acclaimed feature film “Maria’s Silence” (2024), which was also awarded at the Berlin International Film Festival. The film is a Latvian-Lithuanian co-production that presents a high‑quality artistic portrayal of important and fateful historical events for the entire Baltic region.

We are thankful to our Canadian allies for their leadership and significant contribution to our collective security and NATO’s overall robustness. The NATO multinational brigade will become the largest NATO military formation in the Baltic States. This was stated by the Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa, at an event held in honour of the NATO battle group's elevation to brigade level on Thursday, 17 October.

On Thursday, 17 October, in anticipation of the Third Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform in Riga, the Saeima adopted a statement on support for Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression. 

The Third Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform on 24 October in Riga will bring together delegations from approximately 40 countries around the world. Alongside the Summit, high-level expert discussions and other events in support of Ukraine will take place, including discussions dedicated to human rights issues and a screening of the documentary The True History of Crimea.

By hosting the Third Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimea Platform, Latvia assumes a leading role in bolstering international support for Ukraine. At both the parliamentary and national levels, we reaffirm Latvia's comprehensive and steadfast commitment to the restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity while simultaneously pursuing an active and responsible foreign policy that underscores Latvia's perspective on the security challenges facing the global community. This sentiment is articulated by the Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa, in anticipation of the Parliamentary Summit to be held in Riga on 24 October. 

On Thursday, 10 October, the Saeima passed in the final reading amendments to the Military Service Law allowing citizens of other countries to serve in the Latvian Army in the event of mobilisation. 

From the next school year, all children up to grade 6 will be prohibited from using mobile phones in schools. Exceptions will be made when mobile phones are required by the teacher as part of the teaching process, according to amendments to the Education Law passed by the Saeima on Thursday, 10 October. The law applies to students in preschool and primary school, covering Years 1 to 6 inclusive. 

The Third Parliamentary summit of the International Crimea Platform in Riga on 24 October will bring together delegations from approximately 40 countries around the world. We invite media representatives to apply for accreditation by 14 October by completing the application form available at: https://crimea-platform-riga.lv/media-acc-form/.