Ukraine must be admitted to NATO and the European Union, and there are no alternatives, said Rihards Kols, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Head of the Latvian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) on Thursday, 25 January, during the annual foreign policy debate in the Saeima. The Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee emphasised that the outcome of the war in Ukraine will determine the security of Europe, the United States and the world in the coming decades. Ukraine’s victory is important for the strengthening and prospering of democracy.

“We must in all possible ways contribute to the victory of justice over Russia in its war against Ukraine. Russia must be held accountable for its atrocities. In order to restore justice and dispel the feeling of impunity, the Russian frozen funds need to be redirected to the reconstruction of Ukraine. The issue of returning abducted children to home in Ukraine is fundamentally important," said Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, Head of the Latvian Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, on Monday, 22 January, in a conversation with the newly elected President of the Assembly Theodoros Rousopoulos in Strasbourg, France.

Alarmed by the continuous brutal Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities and communities, the Presidium of the Baltic Assembly (BA) adopted on Friday, 19 January, a statement on supporting Ukraine until its complete victory. “We call for immediate efforts in Europe to ensure the complete victory of Ukraine following the Peace Formula of the country,” informed Jānis Vucāns, Vice-President of the Baltic Assembly and Head of the Latvian Delegation. 

On Thursday, 18 January, the Saeima adopted in the final reading amendments to the Law on Public Electronic Mass Media and Administration Thereof, according to which, from 1 January 2025, a single public media company entitled Latvian Public Media will be introduced as a result of merging the Latvian Television and Latvian Radio.

During a visit to Ukraine, the Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa accompanied by a delegation of parliamentarians visited the Chernihiv Oblast to meet local residents and get acquainted with the reconstruction works that are being carried out in this northern region of Ukraine using the funds allocated by the Latvian state. Latvia continues to provide targeted support for the reconstruction of infrastructure damaged by the Russian invasion. This year our country has allocated 5.1 million euros to reconstruction of the region.

The Treaty between Latvia and Russia on Legal Assistance and Legal Relations in Civil, Family, and Criminal Matters should be denounced, decided the Saeima on Thursday, 18 January. Parliamentarians voted in favour of a draft law suspending the Treaty.

“The people of Latvia side firmly with the people of Ukraine, and our support for Ukraine will never end. We stand with you and we will stay by your side. We will support your fight for victory and your journey towards NATO and the EU,” said Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on Tuesday, 16 January, in Kyiv at a meeting with Ruslan Stefanchuk, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. The delegation led by the Speaker of the Saeima visited Kyiv to affirm solidarity with the Ukrainian people and express unwavering support for the sovereignty of Ukraine. 

“My heart breaks as I realise the terrible loss of your loved ones, the sorrowful tears of long-suffering Ukrainian mothers and wives. These tears are now writing the history of the Ukrainian people’s unwavering fight and love for their homeland and, at the same time, the history of Russia’s bloody cruelty. These sad pages of history will make our children and grandchildren respect and bow their heads to the Ukrainian people and also recognise the true face of Russia,” said Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on Tuesday, 16 January, in Kyiv, in an address to the Members of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. 

“This year, along with several other countries, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of our accession to the European Union. It was a significant development in Latvia’s growth. But our accession has also strengthened the European Union. A strong European Union is in the interests of Latvia. We will continue to be an active and relevant Member State in building an increasingly strong and secure Europe,” said Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on Friday, 12 January, meeting with the President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola.

On Thursday, 11 January, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa and the Latvian parliamentary delegation and thanked the people of Latvia for their tireless support. Members of the Saeima confirmed that Ukraine can continue to count on us and thanked the Ukrainians for their struggle not only for their own freedom, but also for that of our country and the entire world.