“The crisis caused by the pandemic is yet another opportunity for the Baltic states to look for ways to cooperate more closely and tackle this common global challenge. We must work together to recover from the COVID‑19 crisis as soon as possible and to achieve long‑term growth in the region,” said Dagmāra Beitnere‑Le Galla, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, on Friday, 5 November, in her opening address at the 40th Session of the Baltic Assembly in Vilnius, capital of Lithuania.
“Thirty years ago, the Baltic states worked closely together to regain their independence. Today, we are like‑minded members of the European Union and close NATO allies,” emphasised Beitnere‑Le Galla, congratulating the participants of the Session on the 30th anniversary of the Baltic Assembly.
The Deputy Speaker of the Saeima expressed her appreciation for the close cooperation of the Baltic states at all levels, including the active parliamentary dialogue and mutually coordinated steps between ministers and experts to better represent the interests of the Baltic states in the European Union, NATO, and various international cooperation organisations and platforms.
“We still have a lot to do so that our economies move towards complementarity rather than competition,” noted Beitnere‑Le Galla, underlining that, today, the Baltic cooperation is measured by the success of start‑ups and their contribution to attracting young and educated people to the Baltic region.
“To Europe, we can present ourselves as an innovative and sustainable region characterised by strong connectivity of electrical, transport, and digital networks. The energy system is one of the prerequisites that would give us a good start in Europe. We need to keep working on it,” stressed the Deputy Speaker.
Beitnere‑Le Galla highlighted that we are currently developing major regional infrastructure projects with substantial financial support from the EU and our taxpayers' investments, namely, the Rail Baltica railway and the synchronisation of the Baltic electricity networks with the European grid.
“Just as the European Union was not made in a day, cooperation between the Baltic states does not bear fruit immediately. It takes dedicated and meticulous efforts every day,” stated the Deputy Speaker of the Saeima. “It is not enough for parliaments to take the necessary decisions. It is also important to ensure strong parliamentary oversight of their implementation. Coordinated implementation of planned projects within the set deadlines is important not only for the sustainable economic development and growth of the Baltic region, but also for the security of our region,” expressed Beitnere‑Le Galla.
The Deputy Speaker of the Saeima emphasised that the future of the Baltic region lies in smart, innovative growth, expressing hope that next year, during the Latvian Presidency in the Baltic Assembly, we could give a new impetus to Baltic cooperation in research and innovation.
“Let us pool our knowledge and capabilities and work towards a common Baltic research and innovation policy. For dialogue, mutual understanding, and cooperation!” said Beitnere‑Le Galla, concluding her address.
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Saeima Press Service