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On Tuesday, 23 September, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica took part in an extraordinary meeting of the Speakers of the Nordic, Baltic (NB8) and Polish parliaments. The meeting was convened by the Speaker of the Estonian Parliament in response to Russia’s violation of Estonian airspace on 19 September.

“The aggressor’s goal is to intimidate people in our countries, to test NATO’s unity, and to reduce support for Ukraine. Russia’s ambitions are set to fail. NATO’s response is very clear, strong, and unambiguous,” emphasized Z.Kalniņa-Lukaševica during the meeting.

The discussion addressed NATO’s statement following Article 4 consultations, which had been held at Estonia’s request and which strongly reaffirms the Alliance’s commitment to strengthen deterrence and defence positions on the eastern flank, including robust air defence capabilities.

“NATO will not overlook such provocations – the statement is a clear signal to Russia. We must be ready to respond much more firmly, as well as to strengthen the allied presence on the Alliance’s eastern flank,” said Z. Kalniņa-Lukaševica.

The Deputy Speaker of the Saeima expressed Latvia’s support for NATO’s new mission Eastern Guard, which enhances deterrence and defence in the region. She stressed that the mission demonstrates the member states’ deep understanding of the seriousness of the incidents and commitment to respond appropriately in the future.

“When the countries of our region are united, we are a serious counterweight to Russia. At present, the cooperation among the NB8 countries and Poland is very strong and united – and it must be further reinforced,” underlined Z.Kalniņa-Lukaševica.

The emergency meeting of the Speakers of the Nordic, Baltic and Polish parliaments was convened at the initiative of the Estonian Parliament to discuss the incident in Estonian airspace, which occurred shortly after several Russian drones entered Polish airspace, thus confirming provocations as a tactic employed by Russia against neighbouring countries and NATO member states.

Alongside Saeima's Deputy Speaker Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, the meeting was attended by Estonian Parliament Speaker Lauri Hussar, Danish Parliament Speaker Søren Gade, Deputy Speaker of the Finnish Parliament Tarja Filatov, Lithuanian Parliament Speaker Juozas Olekas, Norwegian Parliament President Masud Gharahkhani, Swedish Parliament Speaker Andreas Norlén, and Marshal of the Polish Parliament Szymon Hołownia.

Saeima Press Service