Sandra Kalniete is appointed the European Parliament's Standing Rapporteur on Russia

The European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs has appointed MEP Sandra Kalniete as the European Parliament's main rapporteur on Russia, while the EPP Group has entrusted her with the role of shadow rapporteur for the European Parliament's report on Kazakhstan.

Sandra Kalniete has worked on a report on EU-Russia political relations in the past, during her mandate in the European Parliament from 2014 to 2019, when Russia invaded Eastern Ukraine and annexed Crimea. Already then, one of the highlights of the report had been that Russia was not a strategic partner of the EU, but rather an opponent.

Sandra Kalniete has a long-standing foreign affairs experience in the EPP Group, having previously been Vice President of the Group for seven and a half years with responsibility for the foreign affairs portfolio. In the present parliamentary term, she has been elected Deputy Head of the EPP Group's Foreign Policy Working Group and will work on issues on the agenda of the International Trade Committee, including documents on EU financial and economic assistance to Ukraine.