The prime ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia remain confident that Rail Baltica – the multibillion-euro, European-gauge railway linking the Baltic states with the rest of the EU – will be completed on schedule, and they have vowed to secure the highest possible level of European funding for the project.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said she expected construction to proceed on time and to meet quality standards.
“This is very important for us as Lithuania, because we have two very important directions, Poland and the North,” Ruginiene said during a joint news conference in Riga on December 12. “These two directions will ensure even greater security and economic attractiveness for us.”
Latvia has faced slower progress than Lithuania or Estonia. Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina said Rail Baltica remained a top priority in Riga and that her government was working to cut costs.
“I am not entirely satisfied with the prices that have been proposed, so additional funds have been allocated in the budget for us to redesign and reduce costs, because I think the price is also important,” Silina said.
She added that Latvia was in talks with builders and the national grid operator and that Latvian Railways would take on part of the construction work.
Latvia is also considering continuing portions of the project through a public-private partnership, she said. Claims that Latvia might abandon the northern section toward Estonia are unfounded, she has added.
“We really need this connection – not only so that our residents can travel to each other’s countries, but also because it is important for us to maintain the connection with Finland, where we have many partners, and for NATO and security matters,” Silina said.
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal reiterated that the railway must be completed until 2030.
“Our entire route in Estonia is under construction on a 155-kilometre section, and a third of the route is already being built,” Michal said. “Latvia is also actively planning how to build the route to Estonia. As Estonia will chair Baltic and Nordic cooperation next year, Rail Baltica is one of our most important projects.”
He said the project would bolster both national defence and economic development.
Lithuania has so far secured about EUR 1.6 billion for Rail Baltica. Up to 85% of the project is financed by the EU’s Connecting Europe Facility, with the remainder coming from Lithuania’s state budget. (LRT)