The transit industry is a major economic pillar that affects the country’s development and future. It provided significant contribution to the state budget just recently. However, when it comes to investments and the economy, we have to recall what then the Prime Minister of Latvia Krišjānis Kariņš during Covid-19 pandemic – that transit is not needed any more, announcing at the same time that there are no plans to provide any significant support for this industry.
This approach is dubious, considering the significant role transit plays in the structure of Latvia’s economy and sustainable development. Former Minister of Transport, Saeima opposition deputy Ainārs Šlesers told BNN as much, stressing that such a political stance is wrong and transit is an indispensable part of Latvia’s economy and is important both in the short and long term.
“Idiots say that. I’m sorry, but I don’t have other words. What are they offering? Turning port territories into agricultural land? Growing carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers and potatoes there? A port is a place that welcomes ships, freight trains, trucks and where logistics take place. A ship docks, unloads cargo. Then another ship comes in and loads the cargo on board. A train comes in, unloads cargo, and then this cargo is loaded onto ships. Containers and loaded and unloaded there and then sent to other parts of the world. You can’t change anything there. Maybe some technological parks at the port, but you can’t change the port itself.”
We can name many European countries, such as Czechia, Austria, Slovakia, which don’t have exit to the sea and which are dependent of freight coming in from other countries. If Latvia has three ports, which God has granted us and no one can take away, we must value this, stresses the politician.
Šlesers believes the situation will change, because Europe has clearly defined that cooperation with China is its priority. “Currently there is turnover of about one trillion euros in trade between the EU market and China. But we have almost no presence there at all, so we need to work hard to convince China to invest and build factories here in special economic zones adjacent to ports, similarly how they do it in Hungary. China signed an agreement with the Hungarian government a year ago to invest 16 billion euros in the Hungarian Special Economic Zone, they are building electric cars for the European market, as well as batteries, solar panels and more. Thousands of trains from China still go through Germany every year – nothing has stopped. And these trains travel through Kazakhstan, Russia, Poland and then Germany. This business hasn’t stopped despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine. But our politicians want to shut this down. Ports should be ports. We should cooperate with Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, with all the region, including China.”
“Perhaps this is an unpopular position, but I’ll say it – the war will end sooner or later. I believe Trump will be able to make a deal with Ukraine, Russia and China. He will find solutions. Like it or not, but Russia and Belarus will remain our neighbours. Sooner or later we will have to work with these countries. Maybe in a year, two, five or ten, I don’t know, but it will depend on geopolitics. It is clear ports have a future, and it is a matter of time. Neither Putin nor Lukashenko are eternal,” BNN was told by Šlesers.