Today, April 13, Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš visited the construction site of Rail Baltica future international station in Riga and met with the implementers of the project. The goal of the meeting was to get acquainted with the progress of the project’s implementation. Before the visit to the Rail Baltica construction site, the Prime Minister met with Minister of Transport Jānis Vitenbergs.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister emphasized that the successful implementation of the Rail Baltica project is in the best interests of Latvia, as the importance of the new railway line has grown even more in the current geopolitical situation. In addition to passenger and cargo transportation, the use of railways is important for military purposes as well. Discussing the progress of the implementation of the project at the construction site, Mr Kariņš emphasized the need to accelerate the pace of construction and begin the construction of the mainline.
During the meeting, the management representatives of the project delivery organizations – joint venture RB Rail AS and Latvian national implementing body Eiropas Dzelzceļa līnijas emphasized that one of the most important challenges in the implementation of the project is the attraction of funding. It is crucial to ensure that the funding for the project is predictable.
The Prime Minister assured that he is aware of the issue of attracting funding and the government will work on possible solutions. Currently, it is important to ensure the full absorption of EU funding, but at the same time, solutions must be sought for the continuity of the financial flow. This was also one of the main issues that Prime Minister Kariņš discussed during his meeting with Minister Vitenbergs.
The discussion on a possible solution will continue in the interinstitutional committee headed by Minister Vitenbergs where cross-sectoral issues related to the implementation of the Rail Baltica project will be addressed. The first meeting of the committee is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, April 18.
It is also important to continue work on infrastructure management issues, including achieving a common understanding at the Baltic level.