28/04/2015 President
Speaking at the end of an official visit to Latvia (26-28 April), Anne Brasseur, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), has congratulated the Latvian authorities on the progress achieved since the restoration of independence. “Latvia has made considerable efforts to fulfill its Council of Europe commitments and obligations. While human rights are confronted with many challenges in a number of member States of our organisation, Latvia remains a solid partner and a strong defender of democratic values in the continent,” she said.
During her meetings with parliamentarians, Ms Brasseur welcomed in particular the follow-up given to judgements of the European Court of Human Rights. “While there is no dedicated parliamentary structure in place, I was informed that the Legal Affairs Committee of the Saeima closely follows the work of our Court and discusses every judgement concerning Latvia, making an important contribution to the actions taken by the Government.”
Turning to the current Latvian Chairmanship of the Council of the European Union, the PACE President expressed her full support for the priorities set at the beginning of the Presidency and congratulated the authorities on their prompt and firm reaction in responding to recent terrorist attacks. Referring to the tragedies in the Mediterranean, Ms Brasseur encouraged a more ambitious agenda at the EU level and called for more solidarity on behalf of all European governments and societies. “I understand that the reception capacity of Latvia is limited; nevertheless, we cannot leave the countries of southern Europe to bear this alone. Every European state has to make efforts to cope with increasing migration flows and to guarantee respect for migrants’ fundamental rights,” she said.
In her bilateral discussions, Ms Brasseur also encouraged the Latvian authorities to contribute to the further integration of national minorities into political life and to resolutely fight against intolerance and hate speech. “I commend the simplification of the procedure for the naturalisation of so-called ‘non-citizens’ and their children in 2013. However, some issues concerning the involvement of these residents of Latvia in political life remain open. In particular, I think that Latvian officials and members of the Russian minority should co-operate more actively in order to discuss the question of granting ‘non-citizens’ the right to vote in local elections,” said the PACE President. “Latvia should also reinforce its efforts to resolutely combat hatred, intolerance and xenophobia, on the rise in many European countries today. All major players – executive officials and parliamentarians, civil society and religious institutions – should join efforts in a broad and inclusive movement against hate.”
Finally, Ms Brasseur congratulated Latvian political leaders, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, for having ratified 96 Council of Europe conventions and encouraged the authorities to continue this positive dynamic. In particular, she underlined the need for Latvia to sign and ratify the Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention). “Latvia should not be among the last Council of Europe member states to become a party to this important treaty. Not only would the implementation of the Istanbul Convention consolidate the already notable efforts of Latvian authorities in the fight against domestic violence and violence against women, but it would also be a strong sign and an example for other countries to follow.”
During her official visit, the PACE President met the Speaker of the Saeima Ināra Mūrniece, Foreign Affairs Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs, Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis, Education and Science Minister Mārīte Seile, the chairperson of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs Lolita Čigāne, as well as members of the Latvian delegation to the Assembly and representatives of different political groups in the Saeima. She also held an exchange of views with representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office of the Republic of Latvia and with different NGOs working on human rights issues. In addition, Ms Brasseur addressed the Youth Parliament and delivered a lecture at the Riga Graduate School of Law.