On 31 January, Lauma Paegļkalna, Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Justice, participated in the meeting of the Justice and Home Affairs Council of the European Union (EU) in Warsaw under the Polish Presidency, where she reaffirmed Latvia's firm position on supporting Ukraine and ensuring Russia's accountability.
During the meeting, the EU discussed comprehensive support for the victims of Russia's war of aggression. Ms Paegļkalna stressed the need to strengthen access to support services for victims of Russia's war of aggression in the Member States, including by providing adequate psychological, legal and information support, which would significantly increase the rights of such victims. Latvia believes that if such a person is recognised as a victim at national level, he/she should be entitled to the same support and rights as a victim of a violent crime.
During the discussion, Ms Paegļkalna reiterated that supporting Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor state Russia is an important issue for Latvia: "For three long, exhausting and horrible years Ukraine has proved what it means to fight for your people, your homeland and your country. Russia's imperial, corrupt and power-hungry regime, which agreed to illegally partition Europe and deported more than 200,000 people from the Baltic States, has not gone anywhere. That is why the EU must continue to be a staunch supporter of Ukraine. We must not be afraid. In this time of global uncertainty, we must be a source of stability - only through mutual cooperation and coordination can we ensure peace and security."
At EU level, a common vision should also be pursued in the process of investigating violations of the sanctions framework and holding those responsible to account. In times of war, a common legal vision and framework is the basis for maintaining international peace and security. At the same time, it should be remembered that in Latvia and other European countries there is a threat of hybrid activities by Russia and its supporters, which are being controlled and contained by the joint efforts of the EU Member States and NATO.
"It is important for us to make clear our support for Ukraine, not only militarily and economically, but also legally. At the same time, we see that Russia's aggression is also manifesting itself in other ways - the destruction of the Baltic Sea infrastructure clearly shows that the existing legal framework is insufficient and we need to find more effective instruments to guarantee the security of the region. People across the EU need to be able to feel safe and it is a shared responsibility to find legal solutions that protect our societies from hybrid threats, including being prepared to respond proactively to various attacks," said Ms Paeglkalna.
The exchange of views on the future priorities and challenges of the justice system was also held. Latvia believes that artificial intelligence has the potential to develop the justice system. It could be integrated in many areas, such as simplifying procedures, court decision-making and also providing useful tools for judges to evaluate cases. However, any integration of AI in the justice sector needs to be done carefully. Close cooperation between EU Member States and EU institutions on this issue must continue to ensure a common approach.