
On Tuesday, 3 June, during her visit to Sarajevo, Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa met with senior officials of Bosnia and Herzegovina, emphasising Latvia’s support for the country on its path to the European Union and NATO. She stressed that the enlargement process must be based on merit. “We are not here to lecture you — we have come to offer our support. You are not alone on this path,” said the Speaker of the Saeima.
Speaker Mieriņa highlighted that Bosnia and Herzegovina must do its part and, just as Latvia once did, set clear goals, define action plans, and identify tangible outcomes in order to carry out the necessary reforms for national development as swiftly as possible.
“We are living in turbulent times,” she noted, adding that the war in Ukraine has also created an opportunity to move beyond the shadow of Soviet rule by making decisive choices for the future of our state and by strengthening our language and culture.
“Russia is and remains an existential threat to all of Europe — to us and to you,” Mieriņa stated, underscoring the need to contain the aggressor. She called for joint efforts to protect what is most fundamental: democracy. “Russia is capable of interfering in democratic processes, altering the course of elections, and manipulating public opinion. This is a form of stealing democracy,” she warned, highlighting the threat of disinformation.
Speaker Mieriņa is visiting Sarajevo together with the other Speakers and Deputy Speakers of the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8). The visit marks the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian War in 1995.
The NB8 delegation met with the country’s leaders at the Presidential Palace, while in Parliament, the Speakers held meetings with members of both the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples.
The NB8 format brings together five Nordic countries — Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Finland, and Sweden — and the three Baltic States — Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.
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Saeima Press Service