Tomorrow, on 28 May, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s (PA) Riga Session will begin. It will continue for five days – until 1 June. 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 28 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.

On Wednesday, 26 May, at the Kipsala International Exhibition Centre, volunteers finished packaging presents for guests of Spring Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, who will receive a gift characteristic of our country as a token of remembrance of the time spent in Latvia.

With the help of volunteers, 350 gift kits have been prepared. Mugs, tea, and honey were packed earlier, and today the gift set has been supplemented with freshly baked rye bread.

By savouring herbal tea from a black pottery mug and tasting a slice of rye bread, along with heather-blossom honey, guests of the NATO PA Riga Session will have an opportunity to experience something characteristic of the various regions of Latvia.

Six members of the Saeima will represent Latvia at the 2010 Spring Session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly (PA) which will take place in Riga. Our country’s interests in this parliamentarian forum will be represented by permanent members of the Latvian delegation to the NATO PA Mrs. Vaira Paegle, Head of the delegation, Mr. Visvaldis Lācis and Mr. Dzintars Rasnačs; as well as alternate members Mr. Oskars Kastēns, Mr. Ivans Klementjevs, and Mr. Ainars Latkovskis.

Mrs. Vaira Paegle, Head of the Latvian delegation, emphasises: “It is exciting that the PA Session will be held in our country; this is the first time for Latvia to host a meeting of parliamentarians from NATO member states and associate countries. It imposes a dual responsibility. First, we have to make sure that the event proceeds flawlessly. Second, as always during similar events, we must vigorously represent our country’s interests.”

During the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s (PA) Riga Session, a flowerbed depicting the logo of the NATO PA Riga Session will be planted in Jēkaba Square near the Saeima building. It will be a symbolic present to the inhabitants of Riga and a remainder of the meeting of NATO parliamentarians which will have taken place in Riga.

On 31 May 2010 at 12:30 the flowerbed will be solemnly dedicated by Mr. Gundars Daudze, Chairman of the Saeima, and Mr. John Tanner, President of the NATO PA. The orchestra of the National Armed Forces Headquarters will play during the ceremony, and the attendees will be able to enjoy the defile of the Honour Guard of the Staff Battalion of the National Armed Forces.

It is planned that the flowerbed will occupy 140 square metres and will contain about 6,000 plants. The creators of the concept point out that the flowerbed will be arranged in the form of a stylised compass, which in NATO’s logo symbolises the member states’ common road towards peace.