“The Baltic States share a similar view of security challenges and our cooperation strengthens regional security,” Edvards Smiltēns, Speaker of the Saeima, highlighted on Friday, 19 May, in the Estonian capital of Tallinn when meeting with Lauri Hussar, Speaker of the Parliament of Estonia, and Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Parliament of Lithuania.

On Friday, 19 May, the annual Saeima and non-governmental organisation (NGO) forum took place at the main building of the Saeima. This year the forum was focused on security aspects, with an emphasis on the importance of democracy and civic awareness, support for Ukraine and prosperity for national development.

On Thursday, 18 May, the Saeima adopted in the final reading amendments, which had been deemed urgent and by which a directive of the European Commission is to be transposed, establishing restrictions on placing flavoured heated tobacco products on the market.

“We are grateful to Spain for its significant contribution in strengthening NATO deterrence and defence capabilities in the Baltic region. Latvia and Spain share excellent bilateral relations and cooperation within the European Union and NATO,” Edvards Smiltēns, Speaker of the Saeima, noted during his working visit to Spain.

“Russia is testing different approaches to weakening the existing international order and trying to offer alternatives appealing to authoritarian regimes around the world. It is dangerous for democracies and threatens the values that we all believe in. We must strongly defend the rules-based international order," said Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, at the meeting of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Seville, Spain.

On Thursday, 11 May, the Saeima supported the government’s decision to extend the state of emergency in the Latvian-Belarusian border area.

“Today, the most valuable affirmation of our patriotism and love for our country, people, and state is to vigilantly safeguard parliamentary democracy, to protect the most sacred values—our freedom, independence and democracy,” said Edvards Smiltēns, Speaker of the Saeima, on Thursday, 4 May, addressing participants of the ceremonial Saeima sitting on the occasion of the Day of Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia.

“At a time when the divide between democracies and authoritarian regimes is growing more and more apparent, as we witness increasingly severe attempts to disrupt the security, stability, and unity of democratic countries, inter-parliamentary cooperation is of crucial importance, especially concerning foreign affairs and security matters. Democratic countries must cooperate; it is the only way to prevail in this struggle—by giving a united and powerful response to the challenges and issues we are facing today,” underlined Rihards Kols, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Saeima, in London, the United Kingdom, during a conference on European security.

“21 years ago in Prague, Latvia received an invitation to join NATO, and now we are discussing the restoration of justice regarding Ukraine on the very same premises. Today more than ever we need the same courage and wisdom to eliminate the grey area of political ambivalence in Europe. Back then, we did not want to remain in the shadow or on the sidelines, and we do not want this to happen to any other nation. Russia’s neighbours in Europe cannot afford to stay neutral,” emphasised Edvards Smiltēns, Speaker of the Saeima, on Monday, 24 April, at the Conference of Speakers of European Union Parliaments in Prague, the Czech Republic.