27 February is now officially recognised as World Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) Day in Latvia, this was decided today by the Saeima with the adoption of amendments to the Law on Public Holidays, Commemoration Days and Celebration Days; the amendments were initiated by the Presidium of the Saeima.

In order to strengthen the official language policy, the Saeima adopted amendments to its Rules of Procedure in the third reading on Thursday, 27 February. The amendments require the Cabinet of Ministers to report to the Saeima every two years on the work done and planned to preserve, protect, develop and increase the influence of the official language.

“Ukraine and Europe must be present at the peace negotiations where the future of Ukraine—and our future—is decided. Europe does not benefit from a frozen conflict or a mere ceasefire. Europe is solely interested in reaching a peace agreement. Ukraine’s independence must never become a bargaining chip in the hands of global superpowers,” emphasised Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on Monday, 24 February, at the extraordinary parliamentary sitting convened to commemorate three years since the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

On Thursday, 20 February, Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa welcomed Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas to the Parliament for discussions on support for Ukraine. Both leaders agreed that Ukraine must be directly involved in negotiations on the peace process.

“The war has strengthened our society, making it more active, courageous, and democratic. It has fostered a spirit of initiative, where people do not wait for orders from above but take action, mobilise, seek solutions, and respond proactively. This support is a testament to the resilience of Latvia’s civil society. Non-governmental organisations and volunteers lead by example, inspiring politicians to make bold decisions,” stated Deputy Speaker of the Saeima Antoņina Ņenaševa on Thursday, 20 February, at the opening of the exhibition "Three Years Together: Latvia’s Support for Ukraine" in parliament.

Marking three years since Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, the Saeima on Thursday, 20 February, adopted a statement reaffirming its unwavering solidarity with the Ukrainian people in their heroic fight for statehood, honouring those who have fallen in war, and pledging continued support for Ukraine until its victory.

“Latvia has an interest in seeing secure and stable growth in the Western Balkans as well as further integration of the region with the European Union. We are willing to assist in Serbia’s reform process with our own experience, and we highly value Serbia’s commitment to EU integration as a strategic objective,” said Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on Tuesday, 18 February, welcoming Ana Brnabić, Speaker of the National Assembly of Serbia, at the Latvian parliament.

“Time to act with greater resolve! It is time for the European Union and for every leader to do more and to take on additional responsibility for security, not just in Ukraine, but also in Europe and the world at large,” emphasised Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on Thursday, 30 January, in her address at the annual foreign policy debate at the Latvian parliament. Speaker Mieriņa underlined that Latvia has already become an example for many European countries due to its leadership in tackling significant geopolitical issues.

On Thursday, 30 January, in her address to the participants of the annual foreign policy debate of the Saeima, Ināra Mūrniece, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said that U.S. leadership in finding a solution to Russia’s war in Ukraine can reasonably be expected. “Ukrainians will have the final word on what kind of peace or ceasefire is acceptable to them. That is why during the talks, Ukraine must be present at the table, not on the table,” emphasised MP Mūrniece.

On Wednesday, 29 January, the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) approved the report drafted by its Chairperson Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica on the situation in Georgia. Based on this report, PACE will decide on the conditions for future cooperation with Georgia.