Minister of Infrastructure Kuldar Leis (Reform) said there is an agreement with Latvia that the Rail Baltica line will be completed by the end of the decade despite concerns about delays.
Estonia has pledged to complete the first phase of its Rail Baltic project by 2030, but concerns persist regarding the section of railway on the Latvian side.
Estonia is short €1.2 billion to complete the first phase of Rail Baltic, but Latvia’s situation is worse. It has funding for only a 50-kilometer stretch, and that only in the direction of Lithuania.
On Monday, the Riigikogu’s special committee on state budget control met with Latvian politicians and representatives of the European Court of Auditors. The session questioned whether the first phase will be completed as planned in four years’ time, mainly due to delays in construction in Latvia.
“The management of this project is weak. More effective management must be ensured by agreement between the countries. Secondly, I am convinced that we should seek at least a bilateral agreement with Latvia so that we — and Estonian taxpayers — can be assured that Estonia’s investments in the project over the years will symmetrically guarantee that Latvia also builds it out,” said Urmas Reinsalu, chair of the Riigikogu’s special committee and leader of Isamaa.
Read more: ERR.EE
