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Antoņina Ņenaševa, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, is currently in Geneva, Switzerland, where she took part in the 6th World Conference of Speakers of Parliament. During the debate on the current geopolitical situation she condemned Russia’s genocide and ecocide against Ukraine and warned the international community of the consequences if Russia is not held accountable for its crime of aggression.

Throughout the summit, the Latvian delegation continued to coordinate solidarity actions in support of Ukraine, which had been initiated a few days earlier by the female speakers’ group. In protest against Russia’s participation in the summit, the Latvian delegation left the meeting room when Valentina Matviyenko, Chair of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, who has been subject to Western sanctions since 2014, took the floor. Russia’s presence was unanimously condemned by the European and North American delegations, which, together with Olena Kondratiuk, Deputy Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, organized a Ukrainian flag solidarity campaign. As a result, the Russian delegation left the summit.

“Russia will be punished, otherwise it will try to move forward with everything it has – military, cyber and hybrid forces. But make no mistake – Ukraine has many friends and allies who will continue to support it until justice prevails. All war criminals will be held accountable,” Deputy Speaker Ņenaševa emphasised.

“It is our duty to support Ukraine by all diplomatic means and to protest against the presence of the Russian delegation not only at this summit, but in all formats where Russia is still participating for whatever reason. Russia’s actions must be exposed to the entire international community at a time when the Russian regime is committing crimes against humanity," Antoņina Ņenaševa said.

The Deputy Speaker of the Saeima also participated in a panel discussion on the use of artificial intelligence for the benefit of society as a whole and met with the heads of the delegations of Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Germany, Iceland and Moldova.

During the speakers’ discussion on the role of parliaments in the future of artificial intelligence, the Deputy Speaker of the Saeima called on parliaments to not only adopt laws, but also to make the future understandable and inclusive for people. Antoņina Ņenaševa pointed out that technology creates opportunities, but it also increases inequality, therefore it is necessary to support those who are left behind, strengthen digital skills and protect linguistic diversity, citing the Latvian language and its importance in the digital age as an example.

During the summit, the Deputy Speaker of the Saeima also met with Igor Grosu, Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Moldova, and discussed the two countries’ experiences in the field of security and the implementation of national reforms during difficult circumstances. “Latvia understands Moldova’s current challenges well, which is why we are providing all possible support for Moldova’s integration into the European Union. Reforms tend to be difficult and their short-term goals are often hard to explain to the public, but once they have been implemented and the benefits are felt, the whole society appreciates them," Deputy Speaker Ņenaševa said.

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Saeima Press Service