On 10 September, President of Latvia, Egils Levits, met with Liliane Maury Pasquier, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), at the Riga Castle to discuss the current Council of Europe and European Parliament affairs.
Meeting between President Levits and President Maury Pasquier focused on Latvia's objections against the 25 June 2019 PACE decision to return the right to vote in the organisation to Russia. President Levits underlined that PACE decision to return the voting rights has surprised Latvian population. PACE is the organisation, founded seven decades ago, to safeguard and promote high standards of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in its member states. President of the PACE acknowledged the concerns of Latvia and explained that the decision was a result of lengthy discussion. Decision was motivated by the need to continue ensuring the human rights protection in the Russian Federation. President Maury Pasquier also expressed hope that Latvia will continue to actively contribute to the work of PACE.
Both presidents also discussed the current Council of Europe and European Parliament priorities with regard to artificial intelligence, development of democracy and bioethics. President Levits and President Maury Pasquier agreed that Council of Europe provides a significant input in promoting discussion and development of legal framework in these areas.
