Estonia can help Latvia build its section of the Rail Baltic railway track to make sure the 2030 deadline is met, if necessary, Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) has said.
The Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian prime ministers met in Riga on May 30 to discuss regional issues, including the under-construction train line which crosses all three countries from Tallinn to the Lithuanian-Polish border.
Last month, it was reported that Latvia was expected to miss the 2030 deadline.
When asked by a journalist about a comment he made in November 2024, suggesting Estonia would continue building when it reached the Latvian border, Michal denied it was a joke: “We are offering, but I know every country has their own system.”
“But if we can do anything, share our experience, projects, and again, I might be joking but I’m not, if it’s possible, we can also build in Latvia if needed. No worries,” Michal said at a joint press conference with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina and Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas.
“But I am very assured, and if I am confident in something, I know that the Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina will do everything to achieve the goal to build the main line by the deadline,” he said.
All three countries are requesting additional funding from the European Union to finish the project. The transport ministers suggested an additional EUR 10 billion is needed earlier this week.
Speaking about Estonia’s progress, Michal said Tallinn had a funding shortfall of between EUR 400-500 million, but funding from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) would be used to help fill the gap.
He said 74 kilometers of track were being built or covered by contracts. Until the end of 2026, the whole line will be under construction and the deadline should be met until 2030.
Michal said there was strong will from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Finland to complete the connection.
“We can manage with the date, with the line and with the funds,” the prime minister emphasized.
At the start of the press conference, Silina said she was “absolutely thankful” for Michal’s “rather delicate” sense of humor that he brought to meetings to cheer everyone up. (ERR)