Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs stated that completing the Rail Baltica railway line in all three Baltic countries by 2030 is "mathematically impossible." He expressed this opinion in an interview with the TV3 program "900 seconds." According to the head of government, during the European Council meeting in Brussels, he discussed the future of the project with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The parties agreed that the European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, will visit the Baltic countries to discuss further steps for implementing Rail Baltica. Kulbergs stated that he is ready to take on the role of project coordinator at the political level. "I am ready to take on the role of the leader of the Baltics," said the Prime Minister, emphasizing that the project requires closer coordination between Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. He was particularly critical of Estonia's position. In Kulbergs' opinion, statements about completing construction by 2030 are based more on political expectations than on technical calculations. "The Estonians are living a bit in a dream world," said the Prime Minister, adding that politicians receive incomplete information, while specialists assess the situation differently. According to the head of government, there is currently too much attention given to public promises regarding deadlines around Rail Baltica. In his opinion, such competition between countries only increases the project's cost, as none of them have the resources for such rapid construction. This means that the issue now is not only about deadlines but also about finding a more realistic model for project implementation without further cost increases. Kulbergs believes that the Baltic countries should jointly seek ways to reduce the project's costs. As one option, he mentioned revising certain technical solutions, including the possible reduction of the design speed of trains if it significantly reduces construction costs. It is expected that after the visit of the European Commissioner, the Baltic countries will continue discussions on further coordination of the project and possible changes in its implementation.
