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International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics Friday, 29.03.2024, 16:55

Declaration about further development of Rail Baltica signed in Rotterdam

BC, Riga, 22.06.2016.Print version
Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland and Finland as well as the European Coordinator for the North Sea-Baltic TEN-T Corridor, Catherine Trautmann, today signed a joint declaration about intention to continue active implementation of Rail Baltica project for construction of the European-gauge railway linking the Baltic States with the rest of Europe, reported LETA, referring to the Latvian Transport Ministry.

The declaration signed during the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) Days in Rotterdam underlines the project’s strategic importance for improving the transport network between the Baltic states, neighboring countries and the rest of Europe and for facilitating mobility of population and domestic and cross-border cargo flows.

 

The parties to the declaration confirmed their commitment to construction of Rail Baltica on the route Tallinn-Parnu-Riga-Panevezys-Kaunas-Warsaw.

 

Latvian Transport Minister Uldis Augulis said during the signing ceremony that the declaration reiterated support to Rail Baltica in all countries involved in the project, which would create connectivity with Europe by means of a high-speed rail line.

 

"By this declaration all the parties involved, including Finland and Poland, reaffirm their willingness to cooperate in implementation of the project and awareness of its geopolitical and economic value added,” Augulis said.

 

TEN-T Days 2016 in Rotterdam on June 20-21 were organized by the European Commission in cooperation with the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU.

 

As reported, the Rail Baltica project deals with construction of a new 1,435 millimeter standard-gauge railroad in the Baltic countries. The European Commission has allotted Latvia EUR 238 million for the first round of the project.

 

By 2020, the three Baltic states will receive a total of EUR 442.2 million (co-funding of 81.83 percent) for this project.

 

The Rail Baltica project seeks to re-establish a direct connection between the Baltic states and the European railway network. The project is expected to facilitate regional integration by means of a railway link from Helsinki that would link Tallinn, Riga, Kaunas, Warsaw and Berlin and might potentially be extended to Venice.






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