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Currently, the annual Transatlantic Forum of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA) and the Atlantic Council is taking place in Washington, D.C., the capital of the U.S. MPs from the Alliance's member states are discussing the implementation of the Vilnius Summit decisions and preparations for the Washington Summit next year.
The Forum's agenda contains the current situation in Ukraine, including prospects for its recovery. Parliamentarians are also considering the growing impact of the war launched by Putin on Russia itself. Other topics of discussion are relations with China, the situation in the Middle East, plans for the defence industry, and the Alliance's long-term priorities and strategy.
For the second year running, the Forum also honours the memory of Ojārs Ēriks Kalniņš (1949–2021), Member of the Saeima, diplomat, and politician, who led the Latvian delegation to NATO PA for many years. "Ojārs Ēriks Kalniņš was a role model, teacher, and mentor for many Latvian politicians, as he, while fighting for the reinstatement of Latvia, taught lessons of true democratic resilience," said Raimonds Bergmanis, Head of the Latvian delegation to NATO PA and Chair of the Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Committee of the Saeima.
The Head of the Latvian delegation to NATO PA stressed the importance of keeping promises and appreciated the commitment of the U.S. to never have recognised the occupation of Latvia. Bergmanis thanked the NATO PA for preserving the memory of O. Ē. Kalniņš. He expressed hope that the intellect and wisdom inherited from O. Ē. Kalniņš – a statesman who knew that promises should be kept – would help us protect democratic values threatened and undermined by various challenges, including the wars declared by Putin and Hamas.
The Forum’s session named after O. Ē. Kalniņš was dedicated to the resilience of democracy as one of NATO's priorities. Damon Wilson, President of the U.S. National Endowment for Democracy, and participants of the session highlighted O. Ē. Kalniņš' invaluable contribution to Latvia's path to freedom and independence, noting that Kalniņš exemplifies a life-long strengthening of democratic resilience.
The NATO PA is an advisory inter-parliamentary organisation founded in 1955, bringing together parliamentarians from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries. The PA serves as an important link between NATO and the parliaments of its member states, strengthening the political dialogue and promoting public support for the policies of the Alliance.
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Saeima Press Service