On behalf of the Lithuanian Parliament, Mrs Irena
Degutienė, Speaker of the Seimas, extends her congratulations to the citizens
of the Republic of Latvia on preserving their constitutional right to the
Latvian language, as the official state language, in the referendum held
yesterday. The Speaker also emphasises the unique character of the sister
language and its significance to preserving the Latvian national identity.
Latvian society made a firm and final decision concerning
the establishment of the Latvian language as the state language in Latvia,
which is the only way to preserve the unique identity of the Latvian nation,
says Mrs Degutienė in her letter to Mrs Solvita
Āboltiņa, Speaker of the Latvian Saeima.
The Speaker of the Seimas observes that the results of
the national referendum support the Statement on the National Role of the
Latvian Language adopted by the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia on 2 February
2012, which states that the Latvian language as the common language of all
residents of Latvia has a significant role in ensuring democratic participation
and a cohesive society in Latvia.
Secretariat of the Speaker of the Seimas
Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Adviser to the Speaker of the
Seimas, telephone: +370 698 42524
