“The decisions made within the European Union today are not only about regulating our common market, but also about upholding the core values that underpin the EU. They address ways to strengthen security in Europe and Ukraine and to protect European values from multiple external challenges," said Edmunds Cepurītis, Chair of the Saeima European Affairs Committee, on 20 September at the Saeima, opening the discussion “How can the Saeima become more visible, influential, and strategic regarding European matters?”.

In order to strengthen the use of the national language in the labour market on Thursday, 19 September the Saeima adopted in the third reading amendments to the Labour Law. The amendments will protect the right of employees to use the national language in the performance of their duties and not to be discriminated against by unreasonable demands for knowledge of a foreign language.

On Thursday, 19 September, the Saeima adopted amendments to the Credit Institution Law, mandating that Latvian commercial banks shall no longer offer the Russian language option in ATMs.

Zanda Kalnina-Lukaševica, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, took part in the Yalta European Strategy Conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, which brought together the leaders of Ukraine - the President, the Speaker of Parliament, the Prime Minister, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence and leading members of the Verkhovna Rada, as well as experts and political leaders from around the world. Deputy Speaker Kalniņa-Lukaševica also took part in the European Defence Roundtable of the Munich Security Conference and met with the Deputy Speakers and Members of the Ukrainian Parliament.

Commemorating 80 years since tens of thousands of people from the Baltic States, including Latvians, fled the occupying power and made the dangerous journey in fishing boats across the Baltic Sea to Sweden, Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa, together with the President of Estonia and the Deputy Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament, took part in the event "80 Years Ago 80 Years After" in Gotland, Sweden. The visit also reiterates the close ties between the Baltic States and Sweden in strengthening regional security.

Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, Chair of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), chaired the meeting of the Committee in Paris. The participants discussed issues related to the functioning of democratic processes in Moldova, as well as elsewhere, including Hungary, Georgia, and Turkey.

If necessary, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland will be able to use Inčukalns underground gas storage facility to store their national strategic reserves. This is determined by the amendments to the Energy Law approved by the Saeima on Thursday, 12 September, in the second and final reading. 

According to the urgent amendments to the Road Traffic Law approved by the Saeima in the second and final reading on Thursday, 12 September, a vehicle registered in Belarus will have to be moved outside the country or registered in Latvia, in order to ensure the enforcement of sanctions imposed by the European Union. 

On Monday, 9 September, in the French capital, Paris, the Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, presented a draft report on the threats posed by foreign interference to the democratic order and security in Europe at a meeting of the Political Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Jānis Sārts, Director of the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence, and David Agranovich, Director of the META Global Threat Disruption, were invited as experts to the meeting. The work on the report started last year, but it is precisely at this point that the issues it deals with are particularly topical. 

Celebrating important anniversaries for Latvia – 35 years since the Baltic Way and 20 years since the accession to the European Union and NATO – the main building of the Saeima invites everyone to apply for a visit to the Open Door Day. It will take place on 27 September from 10:00 to 18:00, and applications for the event are accepted by 24 September.