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Estonian minister says Tallinn-Helsinki tunnel a very promising project

BC, Tallinn, 28.09.2016.Print version
Speaking at the Ariplaan 2017 (Business Plan 2017) conference of Aripaev on Wednesday, Estonia's Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Kristen Michal described building an undersea tunnel between Tallinn and Helsinki as a very promising project, writes LETA/BNS.

A detailed feasibility study is due to be completed in 2018 and then the decision will have to be made on how to move forward, such as in the event when the payback period turns out to be longer, Michal said.


"My opinion is that this project has very good outlooks," the minister said, adding that this holds true especially if we keep in mind the interest of Tallinn and Helsinki, Estonia and Finland to create a common economic space.


"There's very big interest in it in Finland too," Michal added.


He said that for Estonia also international air connections remain a priority.


"What matters a lot to Estonia is that Tallinn wasn't a place where you tell your foreign partner that please fly here via Riga," Michal said. Ensuring air connections does not have to be the duty of a state-owned company, it may also be a private company that ensures competition on the market here, he said.


Estonia's aim is to ensure connections with European capitals five times a week, two times a day - the effect of this on the economy is 63 mln euros. The third important transport project is Rail Baltic, on which several agreements have been made among the Baltic countries of late.

A tunnel between the capitals of Estonia and Finland is estimated to cost approximately 13 bln euros. Michal has previously said that according to initial estimates the tunnel's payback period would be 40 years.






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