Construction, EU – Baltic States, Lithuania, Railways, Transport

According to Lithuanian Transport Minister Jaroslav Narkevic, the Lithuanian government is opposed to that infrastructure, a strategically important state asset, being owned and managed by the joint venture between the three countries. 

"The Rail Baltica line, like other railway infrastructure in the country, must be owned and managed by the sole manager of the country's public rail infrastructure," he said in a press release on Thursday.

Lithuania's public rail infrastructure is owned by Lietuvos Gelezinkeliu Infrastruktura (Lithuanian Railways Infrastructure).  

The Baltic prime ministers are expected to discuss the issue of the Rail Baltica infrastructure ownership at their meeting in Riga on Friday. 

Rokas Masiulis, Lithuania's former transport minister, said back in October 2017 that Rail Baltica's infrastructure in the country's territory had to be owned by the state, rather than RB Rail, the joint venture. 

He then said he hoped that Latvia and Estonia would share Lithuania's position. 

The former management of RB Rail had repeatedly declared its wish to own and manage the future Rail Baltica infrastructure, which has the status of strategic national importance under Lithuanian laws.