The board of the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) is calling for the suspension of design work on the “Rail Baltica” railway project until there is full clarity on the division of responsibilities for the project’s further implementation and on available funding, the political party reports.
ZZS emphasizes that during thematic committee meetings of the Cabinet of Ministers, which discussed the progress of “Rail Baltica,” no answers were provided to critical questions regarding project planning, responsible parties, or funding possibilities.
“Billion-euro questions remain unanswered. Until we receive clear answers, we cannot support the project’s further progress,” stressed ZZS board chairman Armands Krauze.
The ZZS also points out that while consolidated procurements for “Rail Baltica” construction were discussed in these committees, it was revealed that no Latvian companies are involved in the joint Baltic procurement process.
Moreover, there is no clarity on the procurement specifications or whether the acquired materials will meet the actual construction needs of “Rail Baltica.”
No answers have been provided as to how the “Rail Baltica” route will be integrated with the existing transport and other types of infrastructure.
It has been concluded that there is currently no funding to implement the project, yet design work continues—an outstanding debt of 7.8 million euros has already accumulated, and another 7.3 million euros in design expenditures is planned for the second half of the year, ZZS claims.
The ZZS board asserts that “Rail Baltica” is a project of great importance for national development and security and, given its high cost, the Ministry of Transport should assume full responsibility for its implementation. This is necessary to eliminate concerns about possible misuse of funds and to ensure the project is pursued in the interest of Latvian society.