It is the responsibility of the international community to do everything to find and return the Ukrainian children kidnapped by Russia to their homeland,” said Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, Head of the Latvian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), meeting with representatives of the Ukrainian PACE delegation on Thursday, 25 May.

On Thursday, 25 May, the Saeima adopted in the final reading amendments to the European Parliament Election Law, which set out the possibility for voters to vote at any polling station. 

“Energy strategy decisions cannot be taken by select ministries; they must emerge at the Saeima and with broad political participation, as decisions concerning energy are a matter of national security, the lifeblood of economy, attracting investments, and growth,” emphasised Edvards Smiltēns, Speaker of the Saeima, on Monday, 22 May, at the opening of an energy forum at the Parliament.

“The Baltic States share a similar view of security challenges and our cooperation strengthens regional security,” Edvards Smiltēns, Speaker of the Saeima, highlighted on Friday, 19 May, in the Estonian capital of Tallinn when meeting with Lauri Hussar, Speaker of the Parliament of Estonia, and Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Parliament of Lithuania.

On Friday, 19 May, the annual Saeima and non-governmental organisation (NGO) forum took place at the main building of the Saeima. This year the forum was focused on security aspects, with an emphasis on the importance of democracy and civic awareness, support for Ukraine and prosperity for national development.

On Thursday, 18 May, the Saeima adopted in the final reading amendments, which had been deemed urgent and by which a directive of the European Commission is to be transposed, establishing restrictions on placing flavoured heated tobacco products on the market.

“We are grateful to Spain for its significant contribution in strengthening NATO deterrence and defence capabilities in the Baltic region. Latvia and Spain share excellent bilateral relations and cooperation within the European Union and NATO,” Edvards Smiltēns, Speaker of the Saeima, noted during his working visit to Spain.

“Russia is testing different approaches to weakening the existing international order and trying to offer alternatives appealing to authoritarian regimes around the world. It is dangerous for democracies and threatens the values that we all believe in. We must strongly defend the rules-based international order," said Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, at the meeting of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Seville, Spain.

On Thursday, 11 May, the Saeima supported the government’s decision to extend the state of emergency in the Latvian-Belarusian border area.