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On Friday, 25 April, Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, for the first time welcomed Taavi Rõivas, Prime Minister of the Republic of Estonia, to the Saeima and noted that “good relations between Latvia and Estonia are based on successful interparliamentary cooperation on the bilateral, Baltic, and EU level, as well as within the framework of Nordic-Baltic cooperation. The fact that traditionally Latvia’s, Estonia’s and Lithuania’s highest public officials pay their first foreign visit to the closest neighbouring countries also attests to the friendship among the Baltic States.”

During the meeting, Solvita Āboltiņa emphasised that good neighbourly relations between Latvia and Estonia are also based on common history and a single European currency, the euro.

In her discussion with Taavi Rõivas, Speaker Āboltiņa highlighted the role of the Baltic Assembly, which has been a significant platform for cooperation, as well as coordination and voicing of a common position by Latvia and Estonia on the Baltic parliamentary level for more than 20 years. It also sends a political signal to other states in the context of Baltic security – the situation in Ukraine requires expression of a common position that any aggression against an independent and sovereign state should be condemned. She noted that currently, when security dominates the agenda in Europe and the entire world, the Baltic Assembly has to strengthen cooperation among parliaments and governments of all three neighbouring countries.

The decision taken in Riga by the Standing Committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly regarding the aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine also attests to the role of national parliaments in security architecture, said the Speaker to the Estonian Prime Minister.

Solvita Āboltiņa informed the Prime Minister about the meeting of the speakers of Nordic-Baltic parliaments held earlier this month in Vilnius, Lithuania, where speakers agreed that common interests necessitate strengthening cooperation, including on the EU level, among the Nordic countries and the Baltic States, as well as the members of the Visegard Group, namely, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

During the meeting with Taavi Rõivas, Solvita Āboltiņa shared information about Latvia’s preparation for the presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2015 and the priorities Latvia has defined; she emphasised that one of Latvia’s priorities will be the Eastern Partnership. The Speaker of the Saeima also attested to Latvia’s readiness to share its experience with Estonia after the presidency.

Lolita Čigāne, Head of the group for interparliamentary relations with Estonia, also took part in the meeting and noted the positive cooperation between Latvian and Estonian parliamentarians in the framework of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Photos from the meeting are available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/saeima/sets/72157644299807854/
Video from the meeting is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd_zYE9TW-s&list=UUdQ1YxaZG3i7ygGCdU8mPKQ
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Saeima Press Service