Baltic, Estonia, Good for Business, Latvia, Tourism, Transport

"Rail Baltic for sure is one of the most important topics of transport for Estonia and Latvia in the coming few years, yet for this project to succeed we need to develop existing transport interconnections already now," Simson said.  

"Where upon the completion of Rail Baltic it will be possible to transport goods and go on a business or a holiday trip quickly, by developing the present transport interconnections we can raise the regional competitiveness of southern Estonia and northern Latvia."

With a view to developing existing transport interconnections, the possibilities to change train on the Tallinn-Tartu-Valga-Riga train route will be assessed. Improving the interconnection on the said route would both augment people's possibilities to move and the transportation of goods in southern Estonia and northern Latvia, t

At present two pairs of trains a day operate between Valga, Estonia and the Latvian capital Riga and 1,000 passengers a month on the average cross the Estonian-Latvian border by train.

In addition, the ministers highlighted the need to extend the Kiev-Riga train link that will start operation in 2019 to Tartu and Tallinn.

Members of the government of Estonia and Latvia held a joint sitting at the Latvian National Library in Riga on Tuesday to mark the centennials of the two countries.