Latvia, Legislation, Port, Transport, USA
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Tuesday, 19.03.2024, 07:10
Discussions launched with United States on lifting sanctions against Freeport of Ventspils
The first task force meeting formed by the government on
Thursday will meet later today.
As reported, Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) on
Thursday ordered the creation of a task force led by Minister of Transport
Talis Linkaits (New Conservative Party) to ensure the continued operation of
the Freeport of Ventspils, the prime minister's office told LETA.
The order states that the task force is being set up to
promote effective coordination and to ensure the continued operation of the
Freeport of Ventspils and reduce the risk of corruption, thereby reducing the
impact of US sanctions on Latvia's transit system and the economy at large.
The task force will be headed by Linkaits, and will also be
made up of Finance Minister Janis Reirs (New Unity), Foreign Minister Edgars
Rinkevics (New Unity), Justice Minister Janis Bordans (New Conservative Party),
Economy Minister Ralfs Nemiro (KPV LV), Environmental Protection and Regional
Development Minister Juris Puce (For Development), as well as Minister of
Agriculture Kaspars Gerhards.
Also working on the task force will be Bank of Latvia
President Martins Kazaks, the chairwoman of the Financial Capital and Market
Commission Santa Purgaile, the head of the State Treasury Kaspars Abolins, as
well as the head of the prime minister's bureau Janis Patmalnieks.
LETA also reported, the US Department of the Treasury's
Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) on December 9 imposed sanctions on a
number of physical and legal persons in Europe, Asia and Latin America,
including on Latvia's Ventspils mayor Aivars Lembergs, based on the so-called
Magnitsky act.
OFAC has listed four organizations that belong to or are
controlled by Lembergs - Vetspils Freeport Administration, Ventspils
Development Agency, Business Development Agency, and the Latvian Transport
Business Association.
To deal with Lembergs' influence in the Freeport of Ventspils,
the government on Thursday took control of the administration over the ports of
Ventspils and Riga.