On Monday, 19 September, the Chairpersons of the Committees on European Affairs of the parliaments of the Baltic States and Poland issued a joint statement supporting the Rail Baltica project and urging the responsible parties to follow closely the project deadlines significant for ensuring availability of EU financing for the Rail Baltica project.
In the joint statement, the parliamentarians of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Poland reiterate that the Rail Baltica project is the project of the century for the Baltics and that the railway system development is a matter of national security for the Baltic States. In addition, they emphasize, the project will provide significant contribution to the economy of the region and will promote mutual solidarity and good neighbourly relations among the Baltic States. The MPs indicate that delays in decision-making may have a negative effect on the implementation of the Rail Baltica project.
The chairpersons of the Committees on European affairs of the parliaments of the Baltic States and Poland furthermore state their awareness that transparent and responsible project guidance and respect for the principles of good governance are the key to ensuring credibility, trust, and public acceptance, as well as successful implementation of the project. The statement encourages the responsible parties to commit to swift further development of the project while maintaining the necessary quality.
At a meeting of the council of RB Rail, the joint venture of the Baltic States, which took place in Brussels, Belgium on 7 September, the representatives of the Baltic States came to an agreement on the procurement model and division of responsibilities regarding the implementation of the project despite previous disagreements regarding these issues. The parties have to sign a contract on the project financing and implementation model by 30 September, thus affirming their support for the 7 September decision and maintaining EU financing for the project, Lolita Čigāne, Chairperson of the European Affairs Committee of the Saeima, informed.
Saeima Press Service