On Friday, 23 October, parliamentarians from the Baltic states will gather in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, for the annual session of the Baltic Assembly (BA) to discuss matters of regional importance and strengthen cooperation among the three countries and beyond. MPs will focus on security issues and strengthening defence cooperation. This year, the Baltic Assembly marks its 35th anniversary. 

“Putin’s desperate Russia, unable to achieve its military objectives in Ukraine, opened a hybrid warfare front against democratic Europe long ago,” emphasised Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on Thursday, 15 October, addressing her counterparts at the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament in Rome, and calling for the introduction of a coordinated and adequately funded policy to combat hybrid threats.

On Thursday, 15 October, the Saeima adopted in the final reading amendments  to the Civil Law, establishing that animals are not property but living and sentient beings.

To improve the taxation of crypto-assets and introduce a special crypto-asset declaration mechanism, on Thursday, 15 October, the Saeima adopted in the final reading urgent amendments to the Law “On Personal Income Tax”.

On Thursday, 15 October, the Saeima extended the participation of Latvian National Armed Forces' (NAF) soldiers in the NATO Mission Iraq until 1 November 2028.

Alongside security and economic matters, particular attention must currently be paid to fostering public trust in parliaments, emphasised Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on Tuesday, 13 October, as she welcomed the new President of the Republic of Estonia Ülle Madise to the Parliament of Latvia. The introductory visit to Latvia is her first foreign visit as president. 

“Good governance rests not only on effective institutions and transparent processes, but also on people’s trust that public administration works in the public interest,” stressed Jana Simanovska, Head of the Latvian delegation at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), in her address to the participants of the IPU’s 153rd Assembly. In the Assembly, parliamentarians from around the world discussed topical global matters – good governance, inclusion and public trust, as well as community engagement. 

On Thursday, 8 October, the Saeima adopted in the final reading an amendment to the Law on the Restriction of Measures Posing a Threat to National Security, prohibiting local government members from travelling to Russia and Belarus. The ban also applies to transit through the territories of these aggressor states.

To reduce the risk of populated areas being left without electricity for prolonged periods following severe storms, the strips to be cleared of trees along 110 kilovolt (kV) power line routes will be widened, as provided for by the amendments to the Protection Zone Law adopted by the Saeima in the final reading on Thursday, 8 October. 

The United States has an indispensable role in Latvia’s independence and development, said Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Saeima, expressing appreciation for the significant support of the U.S. Congress for the Baltic States as she welcomed U.S. Representative Jose Luis Correa to the Latvian parliament on Tuesday, 6 October. Representative Correa is a member of the Congressional Baltic Caucus.