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“Latvia and Hungary share opinions on many topics, so we are interested in mutual consultations in significant areas such as the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework, the future of Europe, defence issues and enlargement of the OECD,” pointed out Solvita Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on Thursday, 25 October, when meeting with László Kövér, Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary, who is on an official visit to Latvia.

As she welcomed the dignitary in the main building of the Saeima, Āboltiņa noted that Kövér came to Latvia at a symbolic time. “This week Hungary is commemorating the 1956 uprising, which was one of the rare events that during the Soviet time instilled hope and encouraged not to forget about one’s country and people’s thirst for freedom,” said the Latvian Speaker.

“Peace and solidarity are the cornerstones of the European Union; therefore, small countries have to cooperate among themselves in order to make sure their interests are taken into account and equal opportunities are provided,” Speaker Āboltiņa emphasised. She mentioned the example of Latvian farmers who receive the EU’s lowest direct payments, a situation which should be rectified immediately.

Āboltiņa stressed two main Latvia’s priorities with regard to the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework for 2014–2020, namely, to make sure that the financial envelope for Cohesion Policy remains at least at the current level and that the lowest direct payments reach at least 80% of the EU average.

“A strong Europe and European Union is in the interest of the Latvian nation and state because only a politically stable and economically strong European Union can adequately defend its member states’ interests globally. Thus it is important to ensure further integration among all member states of the European Union,” stressed Solvita Āboltiņa. She also indicated that Latvia sees the EU as a voluntary union of nation states.

Speaker Kövér affirmed Hungary’s support to Latvia’s accession to the OECD. The Latvian Speaker thanked her counterpart for this support and expressed the hope that Hungary will continue to promote Latvia’s membership in the OECD in further enlargement negotiations. When discussing international cooperation, both Speakers agreed that both counties have opportunities of multi-layer cooperation, especially in the framework of the EU, for example, in the format of bilateral consultations or the format of three Baltic States and the Visegrád Four.

In evaluating their bilateral relations, Āboltiņa said that Latvian–Hungarian relations are developing successfully with cooperation in various formats and on different levels, including the parliamentary level. It is attested by the cooperation between sectoral committees and a regular exchange of high-level visits. Kövér pointed out that cooperation on the municipal level and in the field of education would deepen people-to-people contacts between Latvia and Hungary.

Speaker Āboltiņa also thanked Hungary for its support in the issue of NATO’s Baltic air policing mission and Hungary’s decision to take part in it in 2015.

The Speaker of the Saeima expressed gratification for the broad cooperation between Latvia and Hungary in the areas of culture and education. ”We are happy that two Hungarian higher education institutions teach the Latvian language since as early as 1991,” stressed Āboltiņa.

The Latvian Speaker mentioned tourism as a promising area for the bilateral cooperation. “Latvians are active travellers and willingly choose Hungary as their destination. Our country is interested in raising the number of tourists from Hungary too,” Āboltiņa said, stressing that this aim can be more easily achieved thanks to the direct flights to Budapest planned by the Latvian flag carrier airline to be available throughout the year.

László Kövér is on an official visit to Latvia on 25 and 26 October. The Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary is accompanied on his visit by Alpár Gyopáros, Vice-chairman of the Hungarian–Latvian Group of the National Assembly of Hungary.


Photos from the meeting are available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/saeima/sets/72157631850057848/
When using the material, please give credit to the Saeima Chancellery.

Saeima Press Service