Speaker of the Seimas: ‘We can use our historical experience to draw attention to the threats’

Press release, 1 March 2021

Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas, has concluded her first trip abroad. On 1 March, the Speaker of the Seimas paid a working visit to the Republic of Latvia. During the visit, the Speaker of the Seimas met with Latvian President Egils Levits, Speaker of the Latvian Parliament Ināra Mūrniece, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs.

During the meetings, the topics of bilateral relations and cooperation, containment of the COVID pandemic, and the threats posed by the Astravyets nuclear power plant were at the focus of attention. Joint infrastructure projects developed by Lithuania and Latvia were also discussed. The Speaker of the Seimas pointed to the fact that the closest bilateral relations maintained traditionally between the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania and the Saeima of the Republic of Latvia were continually deepening in the same direction.

‘We can rely on one another since we have always stood shoulder to shoulder guided by the same values, which, more than thirty years ago, inspired the struggle for our independence. Ever since then, our parliaments have been cooperating in the bilateral format and the Baltic Assembly, as well as at Nordic–Baltic and European Union levels. When we act together, our voices are heard and we can use our unique common historical experience and draw attention to the constantly evolving threats to democratic processes in our region,’ said Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen after the meetings with the leaders of the Republic of Latvia.

Photos by Olga Posaškova, Office of the Seimas

Paulius Žeimys, Adviser to Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas, tel. +370 5 239 6030,

e-mail: [email protected]