"Strengthening Europe's common external security is one of the most important tasks and must be endowed with adequate resources. Every opportunity is used against us to destabilise the situation at the border, so we must do everything in our power to strengthen the border,” said the Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa in the Polish city of Bialystok on Monday, 10 June, at a meeting of the Speakers of the parliaments of the Baltic States, Poland and Ukraine.

Speaker Mieriņa conveyed solidarity and deepest sympathy with Poland for the death of its border guard, who was struck with a knife by a migrant on the Polish-Belarusian border at the end of May. “This tragic accident shows once again what neighbours are next to us and what we can expect from them. One thing is clear: we must do everything we can to prevent such tragic events from happening again,” said the Speaker of the Saeima.

Stressing that the external border of the European Union is our joint responsibility, Daiga Mieriņa also called on the new convocation of the European Parliament to actively engage in strengthening our common security. Speaker Mieriņa also emphasised the importance of providing support for Ukraine.

The Speaker of the Saeima met with the Speaker of the Estonian Riigikogu, Lauri Hussar, Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas, Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Marshal of the Polish Sejm, Szymon Holownia, and Speaker of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada, Ruslan Stefanchuk.

The Speakers also met with young people on Monday to discuss security and civic engagement in the region. The Speaker of the Saeima stressed that the time in which we live, although difficult, is also a time of opportunity. “We can reorganise our value system, our thoughts, and re-evaluate who are our friends, who will help us in the most difficult moment, and who is our enemy. We have also experienced the horrors Ukraine is undergoing right now. And that is why we need to do everything to achieve Ukraine’s victory, because it is also our victory, our security and our future,” said Speaker Mieriņa.

The Speaker of the Saeima is visiting Poland until 11 June, where she participates in the meeting of the Speakers of the Parliaments of the Baltic States, Poland and Ukraine.

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Saeima Press Service