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On Thursday, 4 December, Ināra Mūrniece, Speaker of the Saeima, while meeting with the participants of the Conference of the Presidents of the European Parliament, emphasised that “Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union will take place at a time of significant institutional change within the European Union – for many of us this is a new beginning. Therefore, I am glad for the active dialogue among the newly elected officials in Latvia and officials at EU institutions.” At the Conference, the Latvian parliament was represented by representatives of parliamentary groups of political parties elected to the Saeima, as well as chairpersons of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the European Affairs Committee of the Saeima.

The Speaker noted that those involved in preparing for the presidency have been feeling its rapid approach since September, when the exchange of visits started to increase; she also stressed that, after all, we have been getting ready for this event for nearly half a century since the restoration of Latvia’s independence.

Martin Schulz, the Chair of the Conference of the Presidents and President of the European Parliament, commended Latvia for its readiness to assume the presidency in less than a month and acknowledged that often it is the small countries that fulfil this duty the most successfully. He also stated that priorities set by the Latvian presidency are closely related to the priorities set by Jean-Claude Juncker, the new President of the European Commission.

With regard to interparliamentary cooperation, Martin Schulz indicated that sectoral committees of the European Parliament are already closely cooperating with the relevant committees of the Saeima.

Speaker Mūrniece expressed high regard for the effective and constructive cooperation between the Saeima and the European Parliament on both the political and administrative level. “Coordinated activity of the European Parliament and member states of the EU is one of the cornerstones of the EU’s democracy,” said the Speaker. 

In discussing priorities of the Latvian presidency – competitiveness, digital potential and the EU’s role in the world, Ināra Mūrniece emphasised that with regard to increasing EU’s global role Latvia is planning to focus on the Eastern

Partnership and relations with countries of Central Asia, and with regard to increasing EU’s competitiveness it is necessary to invest in the economy, create jobs and strengthen energy security.

The Speaker informed the participants of the Conference that during the Latvian Presidency the Saeima will organise six interparliamentary events – five of them will be held in Riga, and one in Brussels. Speaker Mūrniece extended gratitude for successful cooperation in organising the Interparliamentary Conference under Article 13 of the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union. She also thanked Martin Schulz for his personal support of the Latvian Presidency. 

The Conference of Presidents is a political body which is responsible for organising the Parliament’s work and legislation, determine the responsibilities and composition of committees and delegations, as well as establish relations with other EU institutions, national parliaments and non-EU countries. The Conference of Presidents is composed of the President of the European Parliament and chairpersons of the political groups. 

Photos from the meeting are available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/saeima/sets/72157649607432665/
Disclaimer & copyright: www.saeima.lv/lv/autortiesibas 

Saeima Press Service