“Russia is brazenly testing NATO’s patience,” stressed the Speaker of the Saeima, Daiga Mieriņa, on Tuesday, 23 September, in Lisbon during a meeting with the President of the Assembly of the Republic of Portugal, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco.

J.P. Aguiar-Branco stressed that no country can now feel secure from Russia’s threat, pointing out that distance alone no longer offers protection.

The Speaker of the Saeima thanked Portugal for its contribution to strengthening security of NATO’s eastern flank. She also invited Portugal to join the drone coalition led by Latvia and the United Kingdom, noting that Latvia is open to joint exercises and that a specialized drone training ground is already in operation in Sēlija.

The parties also discussed ways to maintain pressure on Russia through sanctions and other measures to limit the aggressor state’s ability to act, including the completion of frozen asset confiscation and their transfer to Ukraine

The speakers underlined the importance of defending democracy, particularly through countering hybrid threats and disinformation, and highlighted the key role of national parliaments in engaging with society.

During her visit to the Assembly, the Speaker of the Saeima and her delegation are also scheduled to meet with members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the European Affairs Committee, as well as to visit the newly opened parliamentary centre. In Lisbon, D. Mieriņa will also meet with the Portuguese Minister of Defence, Nuno Melo.

The Speaker of the Saeima is currently in Portugal, meeting with the country’s senior officials to discuss current bilateral, security and European issues. She is accompanied by Deputy Secretary of the Saeima and Chairman of Group for promoting cooperation with the Parliament of Portugal, Jānis Grasbergs.

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Saeima Press Service