Latvia planning to hold international conference on Crimea

Saeima Deputy Speaker Dagmāra Beitnere-Le Galla said at a meeting with Deputy Verkhovna Rada Speaker Olena Kondratiuk in Kyiv on October 6, Ukrinform reports with reference to the Verkhovna Rada press service.

During the meeting, the parties discussed the common historical past of the two peoples, the restoration and preservation of the historical memory of the crimes of totalitarian regimes.

"We have a common past, but we also have a common European future. We are very happy and proud that we have extremely friendly and partnership relations with Latvia both at the interstate and interparliamentary level,” Kondratiuk said.

According to her, the Verkhovna Rada highly appreciates the creation of the Crimea Platform Group at the Saeima.

Ukraine, its sovereignty, and territorial integrity are very important for Latvia, Beitnere-Le Galla assured, noting that the Latvian side was ready for the active work within the Crimea Platform.

Together with Ambassador of Latvia to Ukraine Ilgvars Kļava, who was present at the meeting, the parties agreed to coordinate efforts to carry out the Crimea Platform events. In particular, Latvia plans to organize a major international conference on the occupation of Crimea as an example of a violation of international law.

The meeting participants also discussed issues related to Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration and cooperation in PACE within the Baltic+ format, intensification of Ukraine's cooperation with the Three Seas Initiative.

"We should together respond to the hybrid threats our countries and security across Europe face. This is the need to jointly oppose Nord Stream 2 as a geopolitical project of the Russian Federation and to impose all possible sanctions on the members of the Russian State Duma elected in the occupied Crimea and the organizers of the illegal elections," Kondratiuk said.

At the same time, the Saeima Deputy Speaker said that Latvia was ready to take decisive action on this path together with Ukraine and expected appropriate steps from the Ukrainian side.

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