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Kristalina Georgieva: Latvia is among five countries feeling the largest benefits from EU budget

BC, Riga, 12.05.2015.Print version
Latvia is among those five European Union (EU) countries, which felt the largest direct benefit from the EU budget, this according to Commissioner for Budget & Human Resources, Kristalina Georgieva, in an interview with LETA.

Asked what benefits Latvian residents can feel from the European Commission's activities and budget, Georgieva said that the former Multiannual Financial Framework provided net benefit for Latvia in the amount of EUR 4.6 billion, which is about EUR 651 million a year.

 

"Latvia gets more than it pays. This is a very important financial source at a time when the investment environment is beginning to stagnate," Georgieva explained.

 

She also said that during her visit in Riga, she had an interesting discussion with Saeima's European Affairs Committee Chairwoman Lolita Chigane (Unity), who said that Jelgava, when compared with the Soviet times, has significantly changed for the better.

 

"It used to be a boring and unpleasant city, however, now it has become dynamic with focus on development. The largest growth took place with regard to infrastructure – roads have been improved and built from scratch, houses and schools have been restored. They consume less energy resources, reducing the costs. My experience upon arriving in Riga, is that the airport, too, has undergone improvements, acquiring several million euros from the EU budget. Previously, it did not look so well," said Georgieva.






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