On Wednesday, 5 November, the Saeima returned the draft law on Latvia’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention) to the Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee for reconsideration.

On Thursday, 30 October, Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa met with Prime Minister of Lithuania Inga Ruginienė at the Parliament to discuss cooperation between the two neighbouring countries in defence and the progress of the “Rail Baltica” infrastructure project.

The Saeima reiterated Latvia’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s integration into the European Union and NATO, underlining Ukraine’s rightful place within the family of European democratic nations. In a statement  adopted on 30 October, the Saeima commended Ukraine’s reforms and progress achieved in continuing its fight against Russia’s military aggression, and reiterated the call to use all possible means to support Ukraine in its struggle for the security of its own State and of all Europe.

On Thursday, 30 October, the Saeima adopted in the final reading an urgent draft law providing for Latvia’s withdrawal from the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (Istanbul Convention).

Latvia and Denmark share a common understanding of the security situation in Europe and a united vision of the region’s future development. We are committed to working closely together in order to meet challenges and to strengthen our collective defence capabilities, Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa, emphasised during an official reception at the Latvian Parliament in honour of Their Majesties King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark on Tuesday, 28 October.

“We are truly proud and grateful to have such outstanding and inspiring individuals here in Latvia who, through selfless action, help those in need and elevate Latvia’s name on the international stage,” said Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, on Friday, October 17, as she expressed gratitude to representatives of civil society for their support of Ukraine. Ukrainian State awards were presented today at the Saeima to Liene Dambiņa, President of the Children's Hospital Foundation in Latvia, and NGO “Agendum” for their significant contributions in providing aid to Ukraine during the war. Deputy Speaker Kalniņa-Lukaševica presented the awards together with Edvards Smiltēns, Secretary of the Saeima, and Vasyl Kniazevych, Head of the Honourable Council of the Ukrainian Order of Saint Panteleimon.

Emphasising the State’s obligation to protect women and children from all forms of violence and to promote gender equality, on Thursday, October 16, the Saeima adopted a declaration on the prevention and elimination of domestic violence and violence against women.

On Tuesday, 14 October, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, participated in the international conference “Facing the Odds: Democratic Resilience in Action” in Prague, where she discussed the future of democracy and the threat of global escalation posed by Russia and China.

The Latvian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (NATO PA) recently participated in its Annual Session held in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Latvian parliamentarians highlighted the importance of building a drone wall and increasing defence funding. During the plenary sitting of the Assembly, parliamentarians adopted six resolutions, including on preparing NATO for the future of uncrewed warfare, and on solidarity with Ukraine and the imperative for a just and lasting peace. The Latvian delegation also met with Canadian parliamentarians to discuss the current state of cooperation.

National parliaments are an integral part of building a strong future for Europe. By drawing more on experience and insight of national parliaments, we can ensure a closer connection with our citizens and their needs, said Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa during her meeting with President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola on Friday, 10 October.