This year the annual conference of the speakers of parliament of the NB8 countries will take place on 22 August in Riga, the capital of Latvia. The speakers of the parliaments of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden will meet to discuss current issues pertaining to regional cooperation.

On 21 August this year, the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia will hold celebratory events to mark the 25th anniversary of the de facto restoration of the statehood of Latvia.

On Thursday, 16 June, the Saeima adopted the Law on the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development of 14 December 1960 and on the Agreement on the Terms of Accession of the Republic of Latvia to the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, thus ratifying the agreement whereby Latvia joins the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

On Thursday, 16 June, the Saeima supported a draft resolution on the participation of the Latvian National Armed Forces troops in the United Nations-led Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Mali. The parliament extended the Latvian troops’ mission in Mali pursuant to the relevant UN Security Council resolution. The previous term of the mission had been set at 30 June 2016.

On Thursday, 9 June, the Saeima reconsidered the amendments to the Immigration Law pertaining to the parliament’s previously supported provision that upon applying for a residence permit extension, foreigners are to pay EUR 5 000 into the state budget.

On Thursday, 9 May, Saeima adopted in the final reading the Law on Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Kazakhstan, of the other part, ratifying the cooperation agreement signed on 21 December 2015.

“The quality of the insolvency system affects not only the private sector, but also the public sector, as the state budget loses the funds that are not recovered in business insolvency cases. Therefore, a properly functioning system is crucial for national economic development and sustainability; its quality affects the development of the business environment, as well as the appeal of the state for investors,” Inese Lībiņa-Egnere, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, said in her opening address at a discussion on the rule of law in insolvency proceedings and bailouts, hosted by the Saeima on Friday, 3 June.

During their visit to Astana, Inese Lībiņa Egnere, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, and Andrejs Klementjevs, Secretary of the Saeima, met with Gulmira Isimbayeva, Deputy Chairperson of the House of the Majilis of the parliament of Kazakhstan. The Saeima delegation noted the successful parliamentary relationship as well as active municipal contacts between Latvia and Kazakhstan; they serve as a good basis for developing cooperation in other areas, including economy. The representatives of the Saeima emphasised that Kazakhstan is already Latvia’s main trade partner in Central Asia.  

While on a working visit to Kazakhstan, Members of the Saeima attended a conference hosted by the parliament of Kazakhstan focusing on one of today’s challenges – Religion against Terrorism.