What is the NATO Parliamentary Assembly?
When will the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Session take place in Latvia?
NATO PA session and NATO summit: differences
Where will the NATO PA events be held?
What will parliamentarians of the NATO member states discuss during this Session?
Why is such an event being organised in Latvia?
Which parliaments are represented in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly?
How many people will attend the Parliamentary Assembly’s Session?
Will the media have free access to the events of the Session?
Will the border control with Schengen countries be temporary reinstated during the Session?
When will border control be reimposed? ?
On borders with which countries will border control be reimposed??
Will border crossing roads be closed??
Why will border control be reimposed??
Where will the temporary border control be reimposed??
On which highways will border control be reimposed??
Which persons will be checked??
What will be checked? Which documents will have to be presented by border crossers??
What documents will have to be presented when crossing a border together with a child?
Where can information regarding border crossing be obtained?

What is the NATO Parliamentary Assembly?
The NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA) is a consultative inter-parliamentary organisation founded in 1955 which unites parliamentarians from the member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The NATO PA is like a bridge between NATO and the legislators of its member states, and it helps to maintain support by parliaments and society for policies implemented by the Alliance.

The NATO PA fosters understanding among Alliance parliamentarians about the key security issues and involvement in their solution; it also makes a contribution in explaining and popularising NATO’s policies. The organisation helps to maintain and strengthen the transatlantic relations which form the basis of the Alliance.

Parliamentarians of NATO countries work in sessions which take place twice a year – in spring and autumn. Sessions are important events in this international organisation, and all NATO member states take turns in organising them.


When will the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Session take place in Latvia?
The NATO PA Spring Session in Riga will be held from 28 May until 1 June 2010.


NATO Parliamentary Assembly Session and NATO summit: differences
Parliamentary Assembly’s sessions are attended mainly by parliamentarians of NATO member states and associate countries; at the NATO summit, countries are represented by the heads of state and government, as well as by ministers.

The Parliamentary Assembly’s format is more open; in contrast to the 2006 NATO Riga Summit, press representatives will be able to attend and follow most events of the Session.

The NATO PA is a forum in which parliamentarians discuss topical issues concerning foreign policy, transatlantic partnership, as well as defence and security. This inter-parliamentary organisation can politically influence NATO’s agenda and its decisions.

On several issues, the NATO PA has voiced an even stricter attitude than the Alliance itself. It was precisely the Parliamentary Assembly which had an important role in shaping a positive international opinion and thus facilitating Latvia’s accession to NATO.

NATO summit is a forum in which member states of the Alliance make decisions on the highest level. Decisions concerning admittance of new member states, new initiatives of the Alliance and partnership with non-NATO countries are taken at the summits.

The NATO PA sessions take place on a regular basis – twice a year – whereas NATO summits are not regular and are held whenever necessary.

Organising of the NATO PA Session in Latvia will cost much less than the NATO summit. Organising the summit cost LVL 35 million (EUR 50 million), whereas the budget for organising the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Session is LVL 1.3 million (EUR 1.86 million). Many tasks related to organising the NATO PA Session are carried out by using local available resources. For instance, Saeima employees work on organising the event, along with their regular job duties.

During the NATO PA Session, security measures and traffic restrictions in Riga are not planned to be as extensive as they were during the 2006 NATO Summit.


Where will the NATO PA events be held?
The main venue of the event will be the International Exhibition Centre in Kipsala in Riga, which, according to the requirements of the NATO PA memorandum, was regarded as the most suitable place for organising this event. Individual events will be held also at other venues in Riga. Participants of the Session will go on sightseeing tours and visit the most interesting places in Riga, as well as tourism objects elsewhere in Latvia – in Bauska, Sigulda, Turaida and Līgatne.


What will parliamentarians of the NATO member states discuss during this Session?
This Session will address the following topics: drafting of the NATO’s new Strategic Concept, relations between the Alliance and Iran and Russia, the global economic crisis, NATO-led military operation in Afghanistan, as well as other topical issues. NATO PA 2010 programme.


Why is such an event being organised in Latvia?
The NATO PA sessions are successively organised in all NATO member states, and Latvia is one of the last member states in which the Session has not yet been held. Lithuania organised a NATO PA Session in 2001, and Estonia will do so in 2012.


Which parliaments are represented in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly?
The NATO PA Session is expecting parliamentarians from 28 NATO PA member states and 14 NATO PA associate countries. Members of the PA of the Council of Europe, the Assembly of the Western European Union (Interparliamentary European Security and Defence Assembly), and the European Parliament are also coming to Riga. Representatives from Afghanistan are also going to take part in this Session.


How many people will attend the Parliamentary Assembly’s Session?
More than 300 foreign parliamentarians plan to arrive in Latvia during these days; if one includes their accompanying persons, secretaries of delegations, staff of the NATO PA International Secretariat, technical staff, translators, foreign media representatives, the total number is approximately 700 persons.


Will the media have free access to the events of the Session?
Accredited media representatives will have an opportunity to participate in all events included in the media programme. At the venue of the Session, accredited mass media will be able to follow the course of the plenary session and the committee meetings unless the particular committee has decided otherwise. Media representatives will not be allowed to attend the meetings of secretaries of delegation, the NATO-Russia Parliamentary Committee, political groups, or the Standing Committee.


Will the border control with Schengen countries be temporary reinstated during the Session?
As in other countries, in order to ensure an undisturbed NATO PA Session, it is planned to reinstate the border control from 24 May until 1 June also on Latvia’s borders with the European Union member states.

This is not a unique case, and Schengen countries have taken a decision (in more than 80 cases) regarding a temporary reintroduction of internal border checks in cases when the relevant country hosts a large-scale event. For instance, in 2008, Austria reinstated border checks for a month because of the European Football Championship and Finland briefly reinstated border checks on the EU internal borders during the OSCE Ministerial Council Meeting.


When will border control be reimposed?
Border control will be reimposed from 9:00 a.m. 24 May 2010 until 18:00 a.m. 1 June 2010.


On borders with which countries will border control be reimposed?
Border control will be reimposed on Latvia’s border with Lithuania and Estonia.


Will border crossing roads be closed?
No, border crossing roads will not be closed.


Why will border control be reimposed?
Border control will be reimposed in connection the NATO PA Spring Session, which will be held in Riga on 28 May – 1 June 2010.


Where will the temporary border control be reimposed?
During the temporarily reimposed border control, all persons entering the country on ten highways (on three highways c rossing the border of Latvia and Estonia, and on seven highways crossing the border of Latvia and Lithuania), on ferry lines at the Port of Riga and on board of airplanes arriving from Schengen Agreement member states at Riga International Airport will be subject to minimal security checks.

More thorough random security checks will be conducted in the Latvia – Lithuania and Latvia – Estonia border area.


On which highways will border control be reimposed?
Border control will be reimposed on the following highways:

– border of Latvia – Lithuania:
A11, Liepāja – border with Lithuania (Rucava border control point);
P105, Saldus – Ezere (Ezere border control point);
A8, Riga – Jelgava – border with Lithuania (Meitene border control point);
A7, Riga – Bauska – border with Lithuania (Grenctāle border control point);
P89, Ķekava – Skaistkalne (Skaistkalne border control point);
P70, Svente – border with Lithuania (Subate border control point);
A13, border with Russia (Grebņeva border control point) – Rēzekne – Daugavpils – border with Lithuania (Medumi border control point).

– border of Latvia - Estonia:
A1, Riga (Baltezers) – border with Estonia (Ainaži border control point);
A2, Riga – Sigulda – border with Estonia (Veclaicene border control point)
A3, Inčukalns – Valmiera – border with Estonia (Valka border control point).


Which persons will be checked?
All persons entering Latvia will be checked.


What will be checked? Which documents will have to be presented by border crossers?
Border guards will check the identity of persons by checking the travelling document, its term of validity and evidence of any signs of counterfeiting. Random checks and inspection of vehicles will also be conducted.

If necessary, e.g., situations when persons are not able to present relevant documents, thorough checks will be conducted by using data bases.

Lithuanian and Estonian border guards will also conduct checks in their territory.


What documents will have to be presented when crossing a border together with a child?
When crossing a border with a child, the following procedure should be followed: the child’s passport must be presented; the child’s birth certificate must be presented if the child is not registered in the parents’ passports; notarised authorisation must be presented if the child is accompanied by a person other than its parents.

If a child is travelling alone, notarised parental authorisation must be presented.

State border control advises:
– to refrain from border crossing during the period from 24 May to 1 June;
– to take into account the fact that a line can form on borders, therefore, travellers should plan timely departures;
– to take along a valid travel document.

Where can information regarding border crossing be obtained?
– call the State Border Guard at +371 67075616 (24h);
– send an e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ;
– visit the webpage of the State Border Guards http://www.rs.gov.lv/