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“Latvia highly appreciates the significant contribution of Italy to the NATO battlegroup in Latvia. Your participation strengthens the security of the Baltic region,” said Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, Head of the Latvian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Inese Lībiņa‑Egnere on Wednesday, 24 November, in Rome, during her meeting with Senator Isabella Rauti, who is also the Chair of the group for promoting parliamentary cooperation between Italy and the Baltic states.
Lībiņa-Egnere emphasised that “Italy has been a close friend of Latvia since the very beginning—the time when Latvia tried to achieve the international recognition of its independence.” The Deputy Speaker stressed that this year was of particular importance for bilateral relations, as it marks the centenary since Italy’s de iure recognition of Latvia and also the 30th anniversary since the restoration of diplomatic relations.
The Deputy Speaker of the Saeima expressed her appreciation for the active work of the parliamentary cooperation groups of both countries. She also reaffirmed Latvia’s willingness to continue strengthening the parliamentary dialogue between Latvia and Italy, including at the level of committees and cooperation groups.
Lībiņa‑Egnere and Rauti also discussed the construction of the railway infrastructure project Rail Baltica. The Deputy Speaker of the Saeima underlined that, presently, it is the largest infrastructure project in Europe, serving as a useful platform for the development of transport and logistics, as well as information and communications technology and innovative projects.
Lībiņa‑Egnere and the permanent representative of the PACE delegation Boriss Cilevičs are on a visit to Rome, capital of Italy, until 27 November, to attend the meetings of the Bureau and Standing Committee of PACE.
Saeima Press Service