On Monday, 26 July, while reviewing the new Insolvency Law, the Saeima changed provisions related to natural persons repaying their liabilities. The period of settling their debts will be from one year to three and a half years, depending on the natural person’s income.

On Monday, 12 July, during reconsideration of the Law on Electronic Media, the Saeima changed the rules regarding the use of the official language and the inclusion of European audiovisual works in the broadcasts; the Saeima also specified the amount of commercials acceptable in the public electronic media and in social procurement broadcasts.

Mrs. Vaira Paegle, Head of the Latvian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA), is gratified by the smooth proceeding of the Riga Session; she pointed out that as a result of selfless labour, the organisation of the event was of very high quality.

The Riga Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA) was a high-level event with regard to both organisation and content, confirmed Ms. Judith Garber, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to the Republic of Latvia, when meeting Mr. Gundars Daudze, Chairman of the Saeima, on Tuesday, 8 June.

On Friday, 4 June, members of the European Affairs Committee and the Budget and Finance (Taxation) Committee expressed diverse opinions on the European Commission’s proposal to submit budget guidelines to EU institutions before they are adopted by the national parliaments. Members of parliament welcomed the positive impact this might have on observing fiscal discipline; however, they expressed concern that this proposal might infringe on national sovereignty. 

„For Latvia, comprehensive security was, is and always will remain the main national priority,” said Mrs. Vaira Paegle, Head of the Latvian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, on Tuesday, 1 June, in her address to the participants of the discussion on “NATO’s Future: The Baltic View”. 

On Monday, 31 May, Mr Gundars Daudze, Speaker of the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia, and Mr John Tanner, President of the NATO PA, inaugurated a flowerbed arranged in the form the NATO PA Riga Session logo in Jēkaba Square.

On Sunday, 30 May, national delegations to the NATO PA donated books on NATO, defence issues, and the culture and history of their countries to the Latvian National Library. 

Tomorrow, on 28 May, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s (PA) Riga Session will begin. It will continue for five days – until 1 June. The Assembly will be attended by approximately 700 participants – parliamentarians from the NATO PA member states and associate member states, observers, experts and journalists.

The Baltic Assembly (BA) invites works for the annual competition of BA Prizes for Literature, the Arts and Science to be submitted by 1 June 2010.