Since its founding, the European Union (EU) has been built on values, norms, and the idea of peace, but that is no longer enough – it must also become a union of power and resilience, emphasized Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Saeima, during her opening address at the high‑level international conference “EU Conversations 2026: Protecting the Future” at the Saeima on Friday, 10 April.
This must apply from the very first square centimetre of our eastern border all across the board to cyberspace and critical infrastructure, said Speaker Mieriņa, pointing to the rapid geopolitical shifts triggered by the full‑scale invasion of Ukraine by the aggressor state. “We must act swiftly and decisively. We do not have the luxury of time to simply await Russia’s collapse or the end to this terrible war,” noted the Speaker of the Saeima.
Addressing conference participants, Speaker Mieriņa underlined that preserving the EU motto “United in diversity” now – at a time when the greatest hybrid threat consists of external attempts to divide us – is more important than ever before.
“We must arm ourselves and strengthen our defence capabilities at all levels, so that no potential aggressor may even think about attacking us. At the same time, we have to be able to provide the people of Europe with the same level of well-being and social protection they have enjoyed thus far,“ noted Speaker Mieriņa, emphasising that the decisions made in the coming years will determine the future of a unified Europe.
The Speaker of the Saeima urged conference participants not only to uphold EU values through words and references to legal documents, but to be ready to defend them physically as well. “In the eastern flank it is particularly evident that we need to strengthen and fortify borders and air defence, rather than open the borders, as has been the case until now,” said the Speaker of the Saeima.
Speaker Mieriņa also called for reduced red tape, simplified and more transparent decision‑making process, easing administrative burdens for entrepreneurs, and ensuring equal competitive conditions at the EU level to promote economic development.
For decades, a united Europe has served as an example to the world in terms of health care, social protections, equality, solidarity, and the rule of law, said the Speaker of the Saeima. Regarding EU enlargement, Speaker Mieriņa underlined that the countries that have fulfilled all necessary criteria deserve to be part of the common and democratic European family, as this will also contribute to Europe’s overall security and resilience.
The Speaker of the Saeima noted that this year’s conference focuses on EU’s most pressing current issues: cybersecurity in Europe, a shared vision for the future of Europe, the next multi-annual financial framework, global security challenges, the Eastern Partnership, and the enlargement process. The conference has brought together European policymakers and experts to discuss key issues of EU development and to find answers to the challenges of future security, unity, and global influence in a rapidly evolving world order.
At the opening of the event, participants were also addressed by Andris Kužnieks, Head of the European Commission Representation in Latvia; Una Aleksandra Bērziņa‑Čerenkova, Director of the Latvian Institute of International Affairs; and Baiba Braže, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia.
The conference is taking place for the eleventh time and is organised by the Saeima European Affairs Committee in cooperation with the Latvian Institute of International Affairs and the European Commission Representation in Latvia. Everyone is invited to follow the discussions online on the Saeima website, www.saeima.lv, on the Parliament’s Facebook page and YouTube channels, as well as on cooperation partner websites.
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Saeima Press Service