Descendants of World War II refugees from Latvia could become dual citizens of their ancestral homeland under amendments proposed Jan. 24 by five members of the nationalist bloc in the Saeima.

This is the second attempt in the past several months to alter Latvia’s citizenship law, and apparently gets the jump on a plan by the government to propose its own amendments.

The amendments, proposed by MPs from the National Association (Nacionālā apvienība “Visu Latvijai!” – “Tēvzemei un Brīvībai/LNNK”), also would allow dual citizenship for citizens of European Union countries, Switzerland, Australia and Brazil, as well as of NATO defense alliance members, which would include Canada and the United States.

The amendments to Latvia’s citizenship law were introduced by Einārs Cilinskis, Imants Parādnieks, Dzintars Rasnačs, Visvaldis Lācis and Inese—all members of the National Association (Nacionālā apvienība “Visu Latvijai!” – “Tēvzemei un Brīvībai/LNNK”).

The amendments also would allow dual citizenship for children of whom at least one natural or adoptive parent is a Latvian citizen.

Allowing dual citizenship would foster people’s connection to their homeland, according to an explanatory note submitted with the proposed amendments. Few European countries, the note continues, today do not allow dual citizenship.

In October during the closing weeks of the 9th Saeima, members of the Unity (Vienotība) bloc also proposed a bill that would have allowed dual citizenship. That legislation, however, failed to get a hearing.

For exile organizations such as the World Federation of Free Latvians (Pasaules brīvo latviešu apvienība) changing the law to allow dual citizenship has become a key issue. Until July 1995, exiles and their descendants were able to register as Latvian citizens without having to give up the citizenship of their adopted country. However, since July 1995 dual citizenship has not been allowed.

The new coalition government led by Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis included in its declaration a promise to change the citizenship law to allow dual citizenship.

Foreign Minster Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis, during a Jan. 6 press conference in Rīga, said the government has been working on legislation that would soon be submitted to the Saeima.

Although details have yet to be worked out, Latvia’s Foreign Ministry plans to improve its cooperation with diaspora communities under an agreement signed Jan. 6 in Rīga.

The two-page document was signed by Foreign Minister Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis and Mārtiņš Sausiņš, chairman of the World Federation of Free Latvians (Pasaules brīvo latviešu apvienība, or PBLA).

“In truth, it is a big surprise to me that we are just now signing this cooperation agreement,” Kristovkis said in a press conference following the signing ceremony in the Foreign Ministry. “Cooperation between Latvia and the PBLA has been strong and very substantive and valuable for many years.”

The agreement calls on the two sides to foster Latvian language and culture, as well as to strengthen the diaspora’s participation in the homeland’s political life and economy.

The agreement also is in line with the new government’s declaration, Kristovskis said. Among goals of Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis’ coalition is strengthening Latvians’ ties with the homeland and supporting their return to Latvia.

The Foreign Ministry will be the main contact point for the diaspora’s collaboration with government institutions, non-governmental organizations and private individuals, according to the agreement. The document, Kristovskis said, will give the diaspora a measure of continuity when dealing with the Latvian government. In recent years responsibility for dealing with the diaspora has been shared at times by the Foreign Ministry, the Justice Ministry, the Education Ministry and the former Secretariat of the Special Assignments Minister for Social Integration Affairs.

Sausiņš agreed, noting that the PBLA “finally feels at home.”

The next step, he said, is completion of a strategic plan between the PBLA and the Foreign Ministry.

Among the questions the two sides are discussing is the issue of allowing dual citizenship. A last-minute bill seeking to amend Latvia’s citizenship law was introduced in October during the last Saeima, but failed to garner support. Kristovskis said a new bill will address shortcomings of that bill and is expected to be introduced soon in the 10th Saeima. The board of directors of the Unity (Vienotība) bloc, of which Kristovskis is a leader, declared in July that Latvia’s citizenship law should be amended to allow dual citizenship for Latvians living abroad, for Latvian citizens who are working long-term abroad, and for descendants of Latvian citizens who were born abroad.

In time, Kristovskis added, the Latvian government might be able to again finance projects to support the diaspora. The integration affairs secretariat provided tens of thousands of lats in aid to Latvian diaspora organizations before it was shut down as part of downsizing of government.

The PBLA’s representative office in Rīga may become busier as people turn to it as a result of the agreement with the Foreign Ministry, Sausiņš said.