In light of the Russian presidential elections set to take place this weekend, on Thursday, 14 March, the Saeima adopted a Statement categorically condemning the holding of the elections in the temporarily occupied and illegally annexed territories of Ukraine. According to Members of the Saeima, such actions carried out by Russia within the internationally recognised borders of Ukraine are illegal, and the results of the elections will not be recognised.

On Thursday, 14 March, the Saeima adopted in the third and final reading amendments to the Animal Protection Law with the aim of improving animal welfare. The new requirements concern the keeping, breeding, and surrendering of pets. In addition, the amendments facilitate animal traceability.

On Thursday, 14 March, the Saeima adopted amendments to the Law on Higher Education Institutions, establishing a new model for doctoral studies, changing the funding procedure, introducing remuneration for doctoral students for the duration of their studies, and creating a unified doctoral degree conferral procedure.

In order to promote export-oriented investments and to provide an environment for the development of new products, technologies and services, the Saeima supported the urgent draft law on support for innovative business and priority projects on Thursday, 14 March, in the second – final – reading.

“The feeling of impunity leads to new crimes. Justice must be ensured and all perpetrators brought to justice. Justice can only be ensured by the victory of Ukraine," said Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima, Head of the Latvian Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, on Thursday, 7 March, at the meeting of the Assembly’s Standing Committee, which takes place this time in the French Senate, Paris. The Committee’s debate was dedicated to two years since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine. 

“It is essential for the international community to strongly insist on respect for international law in relations between states. Russia’s war in Ukraine affects the global economy and threatens the global democratic order,” emphasised Daiga Mieriņa, Speaker of the Saeima, on Wednesday 6 March, meeting in the Latvian parliament with Jacob Francis Nzwidamilimo Mudenda, Speaker of the Parliament of the Republic of Zimbabwe. This is a regional visit of the Zimbabwean Speaker who is visiting also Lithuania, Finland, and Sweden.

On Tuesday, 6 March, in Paris, the capital of France, Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima and head of the Latvian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), was elected Chair of the PACE Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee). Kalniņa-Lukaševica is the first representative from Latvia to become leader of the Committee.

The assassination of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny unfortunately did not come as a surprise— this is not the first political murder by the Kremlin. Today, there are more than 1000 political prisoners in Russia, and the situation in Belarus is even worse. The only possible way in which we, Europe and the civilised world, can help them and ensure that justice prevails is secure Ukraine’s victory against Russia’s aggression, emphasised Zanda Kalniņa-Lukaševica, Deputy Speaker of the Saeima and Head of the Latvian Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), addressing a meeting of PACE’s Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy on Tuesday, 5 March, in Paris, France.

In an open letter, the Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa, along with the parliament speakers of several other European countries, urges the U.S. House of Representatives to expedite decisions regarding assistance to foreign countries and providing Ukraine with the necessary funds to continue its fight.

To strengthen the Parliament's ties with civil society and underscore its pivotal role in law-making, today, on 27 February—the World NGO Day—the Saeima, together with partners from the non-governmental sector, started a new tradition, introducing the Saeima committees Open Door Day.