OECD's analytical and political support will help in Ukraine's restoration and development - Murniece

RIGA - The expertise and recommendations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) will help in restoring and reforming the economy of Ukraine and help the country meet the criteria for a European Union candidate country, Saeima Speaker Inara Murniece (National Alliance) said at the opening of a meeting of the OECD Parliamentary Network in Riga on Friday.

"The OECD's reaction to Russia's invasion of Ukraine was quick and unambiguous," said Murniece, expressing support for the OECD's plans to provide analytical and political support for Ukraine in the short and long term.

Murniece emphasized that Russia's actions demonstrated denial of Western values, Saeima Press Service informed LETA. "Russia's attack on Ukraine is an attack on democracy, people's self-respect, life," she said. Saeima considers Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide against the Ukrainian people, and Latvian lawmakers have categorically condemned the invasion of Ukraine.

Murniece in her speech also commented on measures against misinformation. Public awareness of misinformation is being increased in Latvia, including by strengthening independent media, involving civil society, and centralizing government communication. "We must not allow incitement of war and ethnic hatred, threats to territorial integrity of any countries," said Murniece.

Saeima Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rihards Kols (National Alliance), who represents Saeeima at the OECD, said that today's "status quo" was a "burning" planet with severe outbreaks of the pandemic and unsteady progress with global economic recovery. Furthermore, there is a war in Europe again as Ukraine heroically resists Russian invasion. All of this has thrown global supply chains into chaos, millions of people have lost their jobs and live in poverty, and national debts have reached new records highs.

"If we look at history, even in the recent past, we can see that development cycles and progress are moving ahead over time. Globally, life is still improving," said Kols. This is a result of target-oriented work with a strategic vision and an attainable goal, the willingness to look at problems honestly, without illusions, and to get to work unraveling these problems," said Kols.

Kols emphasized the importance of prudence in decision-making, explaining that recklessness was dangerous. "However, caution should not paralyze us and lead us to indecision. State, security, autonomy, independence and other concepts and the values associated with them are not a result, but a process. This process requires constant thinking, decision-making and moving forward," said Kols.