EU – Baltic States, Legislation, Railways, Transport

Estonian economy and communications minister Urve Palo said that she hopes that Lithuanians will reach already at the European transport ministers meeting next week an understanding that it isn’t possible to build the Rail Baltica via Vilnius.

"I had a meeting with the Lithuanian Ambassador to Estonia two days ago and the ambassador expressed the position that Rail Baltica has to run through Vilnius. The Ambassador left the impression that Estonia and Latvia should support Lithuania in this issue," said Palo. "I in turn relayed the information that this is a topic for the European Commission."

In the current situation, Estonia cannot move ahead with the railway project on its own territory since further steps depend on creation of the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian railway joint company. "We can be very diligent here but we won't get money since it is a cross-border route," said Palo.

European Commission representatives said very clearly at a meeting in Vilnius on Monday that in the framework of the current European Union budgetary period, Rail Baltica can be built only via Kaunas and despite the rigid pressure of Lithuanians, it isn’t possible to add Vilnius there. "Maybe it has been told them before less directly but now it was said directly. They will think about it and if they don’t give in, it is hard to see how this project can become reality at all," said Palo, who will have a meeting with Lithuanian transport minister Rimantas Sinkevičius in two weeks time.