On Saturday 29 May three NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s (PA) Riga Session committees are holding their meetings in order to discuss topical international security policy issues.

The Saturday morning at the Kipsala International Exhibition Centre is beginning with meetings of political groups - the Conservative and Christian Democrat Political Group, the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, and the Socialist Group. Then three Parliamentary Assembly’s committees – the Political Committee, the Committee on Economics and Security, and the Science and Technology Committee – are holding their meetings.

During the last 24 hours, border guards checked 17,068 persons entering Latvia (11,295 on highways and 5,773 at Riga International Airport and the Port of Riga). Among the checked persons, 1,224 are third-country nationals. A total of 6,401 cars have also been checked.

On the internal borders, violations related to travel documents were detected with regard to 59 persons: 34 from Lithuania, 7 from Estonia, 5 from Latvia, 1 from Austria, 2 from Russia, 2 from Sweden, 1 from Italy, 1 from Germany, 1 from Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1 from Morocco, 2 from Moldova, 1 from Romania and 1 from Columbia. Border guards have refused entrance to 52 persons.

For five days from 28 May until 1 June Riga hosts the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The Assembly will be attended by approximately 700 participants – parliamentarians from the NATO PA member states and associate member states, observers, experts and journalists.

Riga Session will be attended by parliamentarians from 27 NATO member states and from 13 associate member states of the NATO PA. Representatives from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Assembly of WEU (the European Security and Defence Assembly) and the European Parliament will also participate in this Session as will representatives from the Afghan parliament.

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Spring Session will begin tomorrow (Friday 28 May) in Riga.

Over 320 legislators from 27 member States of the Alliance and 13 non-member countries - ranging from the Russian Federation, Ukraine and Georgia, to Afghanistan, will meet to discuss key security issues in Riga for 5 days. 

The main discussions will take place within the Assembly’s five committees (Defence and Security, Political, Economics and Security, Science and Technology, Civil Dimension of Security), based on reports prepared by Assembly members and on briefings by international security experts and government high representatives.