President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs is calling on the Ministry of Transport and the government to act responsibly in the implementation of the “Rail Baltica” railway project and in the development of Latvia’s national airline airBaltic, ensuring that the promises made are honored.
As President’s advisor Mārtiņš Drēģeris informed the LETA news agency, Rinkēvičs met with Minister of Transport Kaspars Briškens (P) at Riga Castle on Thursday.
During the meeting, the parties discussed issues related to road maintenance, current developments in the rail sector—including the state of railway infrastructure and measures needed to ensure its long-term sustainability—as well as progress on the implementation of the Rail Baltica project. They also addressed the port reform plan and the current status of airBaltic as it prepares for its initial public offering (IPO).
The President emphasized that the implementation of major national projects does not always go smoothly and therefore urged the Ministry of Transport and the government to act with full responsibility in managing both the Rail Baltica project and airBaltic’s development, ensuring that their actions match their commitments. He also stressed the need to pay special attention to the needs of residents in Latvia’s regions by maintaining high-quality, sustainable road infrastructure.
The President expressed that he expects swift approval of amendments to the Law on Ports, particularly those concerning the optimization of small port governance, recommending that port boards be limited to no more than five members.
The parties also discussed the latest developments in the implementation of the Rail Baltica project, including progress on the construction of the main line. The President called on the minister to share the results of the project’s cost-reduction assessment.