Estonia, Good for Business, Latvia, Port, Transport

The report includes Latvia's position on several issues that will be discussed at the Latvia-Estonia intergovernmental committee meeting on October 10, 2018.

The last committee meeting took place on March 10, 2017, and a decision was made there to include the development of transborder railway connection, healthcare in border areas, and tax issues related to the border area in the agenda of the meeting of the intergovernmental committee.

Additionally, each of the parties has added two more issues for discussion. Among other issues, Latvia wants to launch talks on the ferry link between Saaremaa and Kurzeme.

Saarte Haal, regional newspaper for Estonian islands, reported in June that representatives of the municipality of Saaremaa and the city of Ventspils in Latvia have decided to start searching for a suitable boat to operate a regular ferry service between them already next summer.

"The meeting that took place in Ventspils was intended to demonstrate on the level of the Saaremaa municipality that we are very much interested in a relaunch of the Montu-Ventspils ship route, particularly as representatives of Ventspils have displayed interest on their part as well," the governor of the Saaremaa municipality, Madis Kallas, said.

According to Kallas, the options being considered do not include a high-speed vessel. The aim is to launch the connection with a ferry capable of carrying also cars in the summer of 2019, and the length of the period of operation would be three and a half months from May to mid-August.

Kallas also said that they are putting a lot of hope on tourists from Lithuania, many of whom would extend their journey to Estonia if such a connection existed.

He said that Saaremaa is conducting the search for a suitable vessel.

"Since Saaremaa commissioned the survey about the ferry service, we are also on the lookout for a suitable boat based on the data retrieved from the survey," Kallas said.