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On Tuesday, 9 June, Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Saeima, welcomed Fra’ John Timothy Dunlap, Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Rhodes and Malta, thanking him for the Order’s good works and support for vulnerable groups in society.

“Thank you for the work you do for the good of the whole world by providing humanitarian aid. We are living in very difficult times, when military conflicts are ongoing in many places—in Ukraine, the Middle East, and elsewhere. We must remind ourselves time and again that war brings only devastation, destruction, and suffering,” the Speaker of the Saeima emphasised.

Both sides expressed unanimous support for Ukraine. As Speaker Mieriņa emphasised, nothing is sacred to Russia, not even the sacred heritage, and it is destroying churches. The Speaker of the Saeima referred to Latvia’s experience under Soviet rule, emphasising that people here understand Russia’s true nature very well.

Jānis Grasbergs, Secretary of the Saeima, also took part in the meeting with the Grand Master of the Order of Malta. Representatives of the Saeima and the Order of Malta discussed projects in the fields of medicine and health education that could be further developed.

Latvia and the Order of Malta have had diplomatic relations since 15 August 1995. The Order of Malta is not a state in the classical sense, but an internationally recognised sovereign entity with observer status at the UN. It is one of the oldest Christian religious orders in the world, its history spanning back more than 900 years.

The Order of Malta began operating in Latvia in the 1990s, even before diplomatic relations were established, and has since become one of the most active international partners in Latvia in the field of social assistance and charity. The Order maintains soup kitchens, social centres, rehabilitation and care programmes, provides assistance in emergency situations, and helps Ukrainian refugees in Latvia.

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Saeima Press Service