On Thursday, 12 January, the Saeima approved the compositions and leadership of the Latvian Parliament’s delegations to international organisations.
The Saeima approved Jānis Vucāns as the Head of the Latvian delegation to the Baltic Assembly (BA), and Jānis Reirs as his deputy. The delegation will include also Members Kaspars Briškens, Jānis Grasbergs, Arnolds Jātnieks, Līga Kļaviņa, Dmitrijs Kovalenko, Kristaps Krištopans, Andris Kulbergs, Antoņina Neenaševa, Ramona Petraviča, Viktorija Pleškāne, Uģis Rotbergs, and Juris Viļums. The BA is the interparliamentary institution of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, which was established on 8 November 1991. The parliament of each Member State delegates 12 to 16 members of parliament to the BA. The BA is a coordinating and consultative body that has the power to express its views to national parliaments, governments and the Baltic Council of Ministers in the form of resolutions, decisions, declarations and recommendations and to request answers on how current cross-border issues of the BA agenda are addressed.
The Latvian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will be led by Rihards Kols. The delegation will also include Members Ingrīda Circene and Lauris Lizbovskis, while substitutes for permanent representatives will be Skaidrīte Ābrama, and Armands Krauze. The OSCE PA is a parliamentary dimension of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, whose main task is to promote interparliamentary dialogue in order to contribute to the OSCE’s overarching security objectives. The OSCE PA comprises 57 Member States. The organisation aims at conflict prevention through rapid response tools, as well as crisis resolution and post-conflict rehabilitation in the European region. The organisation focuses on political, military, economic, environmental and human security issues.
The Saeima approved Zanda Kalniņš-Lukaševica as the Head of the Latvian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and Normunds Dzintars as the Deputy Head. The permanent representatives of the Latvian delegation include Ieva Brante, Normunds Dzintars, and Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, while the substitutes for the permanent representatives will be Andris Bērziņš, Edmunds Cepurītis and Ričards Šlesers. PACE is the parliamentary dimension of the Council of Europe, one of its largest and most visible institutions. Its activities focus on preserving the core values and standards of the Council of Europe, the main objective being to strengthen the parliaments of the member states of the Assembly, to promote and protect human rights, the rule of law and democratic governance in all European countries, and to transfer its democratic experience to the parliaments of partner countries and observer countries.
The Latvian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA) will be headed by Raimonds Bergmanis, and Deputy Head Ainars Latkovskis. The permanent representatives of the delegation will be Raimonds Bergmanis, Irma Kalniņa and Aleksandrs Kiršteins, and substitutes — Ainars Latkovskis, Andris Sprūds, and Viktors Valainis. NATO PA is a consultative interparliamentary organisation founded in 1955, which unites parliamentarians of the countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The PA creates an important link between NATO and national parliaments, strengthens political dialogue and promotes public support for the Alliance’s policies.
The Latvian national group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union will be led by Edmunds Teirumnieks, Gundars Daudze approved as Deputy Head. The group will include Members Jekaterina Dorošķeviča, Andrejs Judins, Linda Liepiņa, Lauris Lizbovskis, and Jana Simanovska. The Inter-Parliamentary Union is the oldest parliamentary organisation founded in 1889. Its mission is to strengthen democracy and peace in the world, promote sustainable development and foster cooperation between peoples and cultures through political dialogue.
The Latvian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean Union will be led by Hosams Abu Meri, and the delegation will be composed of Jurģis Klotiņš and Igors Rajevs. The Mediterranean Union’s PA is a consultative interparliamentary organisation established to strengthen the parliamentary dimension of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, as well as to promote dialogue and mutual understanding between different cultures, nationalities and civilisations.
Saeima Press Service