With a year’s delay, the Ministry of Communications has "given birth" to amendments to the Law on the implementation of the Rail Baltica project. Although formally these are changes to an already existing law, in essence, this is actually a new bill, as the current one consists of only a couple of technical articles. Now, the goals of the project are clearly defined, responsible ministries are identified, and their tasks in the implementation of the project of the century are outlined, as well as - albeit in general terms - the sources of financing for Rail Baltica. Here are the main provisions of the bill: "Article 1. Purpose of the Law (1) The purpose of this Law is to ensure the successful and timely implementation of a national interest object - the electrified European standard (1435 mm) public railway infrastructure of Rail Baltica and the construction of related structures within the territory of the Republic of Latvia (hereinafter - the Rail Baltica project) in accordance with the scope of the Rail Baltica project implementation and the structure of its deployment, ensuring in the first phase a functional connection of Latvia with the cross-border railway infrastructure of European gauge with the Republic of Estonia and the Republic of Lithuania in accordance with available financing, and in the second phase ensuring the implementation of the remaining scope of the Rail Baltica project on the territory of Latvia in accordance with available financing. (2) The implementation of the Rail Baltica project, in the understanding of this Law, is a set of actions that includes all necessary processes for the development of railway infrastructure, including the alienation of real estate and the design, construction of railway infrastructure and related infrastructure. The territory of the Rail Baltica project implementation corresponds to the territory necessary for the functioning of the European standard public railway infrastructure of Rail Baltica and the structures related to its creation, and it is included and updated in the territory development planning information system on the website www.tapis.gov.lv as the territory of a national interest object in accordance with its boundaries. (3) The railway infrastructure of the Rail Baltica project ensures: 1) the transportation of passengers and luggage and the transportation of cargo; 2) the transportation of military and military cargo (military transportation is carried out both in the case of military threats and in peacetime)." 2. To supplement the Law with Articles 1_1, 1_2, and 1_3 in the following wording: "Article 1_1. Financing of the Rail Baltica Project (1) The implementation of the Rail Baltica project is financed from: 1) European Union policy instruments and other foreign financial aid instruments; 2) state budget funds. (2) The implementation of the Rail Baltica project may also be financed from other sources of funding. (3) Funds allocated for the implementation of the Rail Baltica project are prohibited from being used for other purposes. As you can see, it is now clearly stated in the bill that the new railway also has military-strategic significance. The author of the law - the Ministry of Communications - also wants to legally recognize that the project will be implemented in two phases, and only in the second phase can there be hope for connecting the main route with points on Latvian territory (Central Station in Riga, the airport, possibly the Riga Free Port...). The government will consider the bill today, after which it will be submitted to the Saeima.