Europe must use all its strength to safeguard democracy and peace - Saeima speaker

RIGA - Europe must use all its strength to safeguard democracy and peace, said Saeima Speaker Daiga Mierina (Greens/Farmers) said, addressing a conference of EU parliamentary speakers in Spain.

Mierina stressed that democratic values are under threat and that political determination is needed to fight for them, LETA was told by the Saeima's Press Service.

"While we in Europe are not using our political and economic potential to take care of our security, we are allowing vulnerabilities that our systemic rivals and aggressor states are eager to exploit," the Saeima speaker said.

According to Mierina, today the horrific nature of Russian terror and its imperial ambitions are clear for everyone to see and many of the hard decisions taken by EU countries now seem absolutely self-evident. But we are still haunted by the consequences of our own inaction, which prevents us from giving Ukraine even more rapid support and speeding up its victory, the Saeima speaker stressed to her EU colleagues.

Mierina stressed the need to strengthen Europe's economic resilience in a determined way, to adapt the military industry to wartime and the long-lasting confrontation that will obviously follow with those who want to undermine the law-based international order. The area of a united, free and secure Europe, which includes Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, must continue to be expanded with the same determination.

"The voice of Latvia and our region will continue to be loud, calling for everything necessary to bring Ukraine closer to victory," said the Saeima speaker, noting that a decision has just been taken to provide long-term military support to Ukraine of at least 0.25 percent of Latvia's gross domestic product each year. "We hope to encourage others by our actions. It is within our power to prevent Russia from winning even small tactical victories until its complete destruction."

The Conference of Speakers of EU Parliaments is an annual forum for speakers to exchange views, information and experience. It brings together the presidents of the parliaments of EU member states, the president of the European Parliament and the presidents of the parliaments of EU candidate countries. This time, the Conference of Speakers of EU Parliaments is taking place from April 21 to 23 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.