In a productive discussion, Kitija Gruškevica, Management Board Member of RB Rail, met with Zane Petre, Head of the European Commission Representation in Latvia, and Andris Kužnieks, Deputy Head of the European Commission Representation in Latvia. They were joined by Rasmuss Filips Geks, Advisor to the Minister of Transport of Latvia, for a progress update meeting.
Kitija Gruškevica provided a comprehensive update on the project’s advancement across all three Baltic countries. Among the foremost priorities discussed was the enhancement of the project financing model, with a focus on attracting private investment. This includes exploring the potential of financing from Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and European funds such as The Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF).
Acknowledging the complexities of the project and the forthcoming European Parliament elections, they underscored the importance of maintaining consistent communication.
The meeting set the stage for ongoing cooperation and information exchange, and it was agreed to ensure regular quarterly progress updates to support the European Commission representation abreast of the progress, immediate priorities, and challenges faced by the Rail Baltica project.
During the meeting, Gruškevica emphasized the significance of leveraging military mobility financing to bolster the project’s budget. Given the prevailing geopolitical landscape and the war in Ukraine, there is heightened attention toward enhancing military mobility, necessitating adequate funding allocation.
From the Ministry of Transport perspective, Rasmuss Filips Geks provided updates on their efforts to improve the project’s governance setup, particularly focusing on streamlining decision-making processes to expedite progress and improve efficiency.
More photos available on the Rail Baltica Flickr account.