“Yet another Baltic Sea cable is damaged by yet another ship. This time, damage was done to a data cable connecting Latvia and Sweden. Together we must prevent Russia from creating new types of threats, which is why the next EU sanctions package must target the vessels of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ that transport oil,” emphasised Edmunds Cepurītis, Chair of the Saeima European Affairs Committee, during the meeting of the chairpersons of the European Union (EU) Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs (COSAC) in Warsaw on Monday, 27 January.

On Monday, 27 January, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (hereinafter – the Assembly) has challenged the credentials of the Georgian delegation and requested the Assembly’s Monitoring Committee to prepare an urgent report on the situation in Georgia following an opinion of over 30 Assembly members that the developments in Georgia undermine its democracy. Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Chair of the Monitoring Committee and Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, indicates that the report is scheduled for discussion on Wednesday, 29 January, at the Assembly plenary session, where the framework for PACE’s future cooperation with the Georgian delegation will also be decided. 

Countries striving to break free from Russia’s orbit will inevitably face its resistance and provocations. This must be expected, met with calm resolve, and addressed with a clear focus on set goals. This was emphasised by the Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa, on Friday, 24 January, during a meeting in Yerevan with members of the Armenian Parliament's Committees on Foreign Affairs and European Integration.

Latvia welcomes Armenia’s decision to pursue the path of European integration and is ready to provide the necessary political and practical support for this endeavour. This was stated by the Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa, on Thursday, 23 January, during a meeting in Yerevan with the President of Armenia, Vahagn Khachaturyan.

On Thursday, 23 January, the Saeima adopted a statement in defence of the interests of the Belarusian people, condemning the consolidation of power by Alexander Lukashenko's regime. In the statement, the Saeima does not recognise the Belarusian presidential elections scheduled for 26 January this year as legitimate, emphasising that they bear no resemblance to a free and fair electoral process.

We aim to promote security and stability in the South Caucasus region and firmly support the peace process that has been initiated. The peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be a significant step that will also promote the region's economic growth and the well-being of its people. This was emphasised by the Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa, on Thursday, 23 January, during a meeting in Yerevan with the President of the Armenian Parliament, the National Assembly, Alen Simonyan. Speaker Mieriņa visited the Armenian Parliament along with the Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the Baltic and Nordic (NB8) parliaments, who are currently on a joint visit to Armenia.

To ensure fair competition with foreign companies shipping strategic goods, on Thursday, 16 January, the Saeima adopted in the third and final reading amendments to the Law on the Circulation of Goods of Strategic Significance.

Concluding her visit to Ukraine, Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa met with Ukraine’s Minister of Defence, Rustem Umerov, in Kyiv on Wednesday, 15 January.

Concluding the first day of her visit to Kyiv, the Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday, 14 January.

Latvia sees promising opportunities for collaboration between entrepreneurs from both countries, particularly in jointly advancing military capabilities. Recognising the importance of ensuring sustainable peace in the region, Latvia acknowledges that it is at the beginning stages of developing its military industry but already has much to learn from and share with Ukraine. This was expressed by the Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa, on Tuesday, 14 January, during a meeting in Kyiv with Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Denys Shmyhal.