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Russia has declared war on all of us who value freedom, life, peace, democracy, dignity, and having our own independent state. In this situation, coordination between the Baltic and Nordic countries has become more important than ever, said Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, on Monday, 28 February, after a meeting with the Speakers of the Estonian and Lithuanian Parliaments and the First Deputy Speaker of the Swedish Parliament.

We have seen the world change very rapidly, and not only because of the war. The countries defending democracy and the values that we hold dear have been able to unite and coordinate their actions in a way that we have not experienced in recent years, emphasised the Speaker of the Saeima, praising Sweden's historic decision to send military aid to Ukraine.

As noted by Mūrniece, it is now absolutely clear that Russia must be isolated both in international institutions and on all possible platforms. Parliamentary coordination has already begun, active work is carried out by both diplomats and parliamentarians, and it also covers other areas, such as culture and sport, explained the Speaker of the Saeima.

We are united in our sanctions policy against Russia. A very harsh sanctions package has been agreed upon, but we must continue monitoring the situation. If hostilities against Ukraine intensify and Belarus also becomes involved, additional sanctions may have to be considered, underscored Mūrniece.

The Speaker of the Saeima stressed the necessity for the society in Latvia to be prepared for warfare taking place in different environments. We need to be prepared for the influx of fake news and disinformation campaigns in Latvia. Their aim is very clear: to discredit support for Ukraine. We need to be wise and to check the sources of information. Every member of society must have a clear view of what is happening. The unity of society is extremely important, said Mūrniece.

The Speaker of the Saeima also pointed out that, at an earlier plenary session, MPs had unanimously adopted two very important laws that would allow volunteers from Latvia to join Ukraine's armed forces to help protect the country's independence.

As explained by the Speaker of the Saeima, in order to strengthen our ability to defend ourselves, Latvia's defence budget is to be increased to 2.5 % of gross domestic product. Additionally, Mūrniece emphasised that the Parliament was expecting a draft law from the Government in the near future, which would allow Latvia to accept war refugees from Ukraine. Mūrniece also thanked the Latvian public for the humanitarian support already provided to Ukraine.

Today, Mūrniece welcomed Jüri Ratas, Speaker of the Estonian Parliament, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Lithuanian Parliament, and Åsa Lindestam, First Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sweden, at the main building of the Saeima.

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Saeima Press Service