Murniece in conversation with Lithuanian speaker urges work on Baltic infrastructure projects

RIGA - Work on the Baltic region's key infrastructure projects - the synchronization of the Baltic power grids and the Rail Baltica railway project - must continue at full capacity, Saeima Speaker Inara Murniece (National Alliance) said during a meeting with Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, Chairperson of Lithuania's Seimas, in Riga on Monday.

"Our parliaments have an important role to play in this by promoting the implementation of the infrastructure projects essential for our region," Murniece said. 

The speakers of the two countries' parliaments noted that, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, cooperation between the Saeima and the recently elected Lithuanian parliament has started successfully, including by using digital communication tools for remote meetings.

"Our parliamentary cooperation has strong traditions, both on the bilateral level and in the Baltic Assembly. We also want to continue our traditionally close contacts on the level of parliamentary committees and groups," Murniece told Cmilyte-Nielsen.

The Saeima speaker also commended the active cooperation between the two parliaments' foreign affairs committees in strengthening transatlantic dialogue.  The US is Europe's closes strategic partner, we have common goals, Murniece said, asserting interest in joint efforts to promote the US Congress' long-term support for the Baltic states' security and defense. 

"I believe that the Baltic states, given our historical experience, must undertake the mission to explain developments in Russia and the EU's Eastern Partnership countries to our Western allies. We want to continue the initiative, started in previous years - the joint visits by Baltic and Nordic parliament speakers to Eastern Partnership countries to support their democratization process," the Saeima speaker said.

Both Murniece and Cmilyte-Nielsen agreed on the importance of mutual coordination in managing the Covid-19 crisis.