Saeima Committee Supports Including Four Vidzeme Municipalities in Latvia's Eastern Territory
The Saeima's Economic, Agricultural, Environmental and Regional Policy Committee has backed a proposal to expand Latvia's Eastern Territory to include Valka, Smiltene, Gulbene and Madona municipalities, based on security and socio-economic considerations.
On July 22, the responsible Saeima committee, while reviewing the draft law on the development of Latvia's Eastern Territory, supported an initiative by the Vidzeme Planning Region. The originally planned territory included the Latgale Planning Region and Alūksne municipality, but the committee's approval means four more Vidzeme municipalities – Valka, Smiltene, Gulbene and Madona – will be added.
Committee members did not object to this expansion and agreed to express this position at the Saeima session. Representatives of the Vidzeme Planning Region emphasized that the territory should be determined based on actual security and socio-economic conditions, not administrative borders. The proposal is based on an analysis evaluating 15 economic, demographic and geographic criteria.
Inese Suija-Markova, Chair of the Region's Development Council, noted that data clearly show increasing risks closer to the eastern border. According to her, if the law already covers the entire Latgale region but only Alūksne from Vidzeme, there is no reason to exclude other municipalities facing similar challenges – for example, Gulbene municipality is only 50 km from the border.
The draft law is scheduled for first reading at the next Saeima session. Proposals for the second reading can be submitted until August 23. In the near future, the draft's sponsors and the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development will also evaluate the proposals submitted by the Vidzeme Planning Region.
