Meeting of CER and the Railway Managers of the Baltic States
A coordination meeting of the managers of the Baltic States’ railway companies initiated by the Community of European Railways (CER) and chaired by Ad Toet, Adviser Central and Eastern European Countries CER, took place in the assembly hall of the SJSC Latvijas Dzelzcels (LDZ) on 9 March. In the meeting participated a delegation of Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (LG) led by Alberts Simenas, Deputy Director General LG, and a delegation of Eesti Raudtee (ER) led by Kaido Simerman, CEO ER. Ugis Magonis, Chairman of the Board LDZ, Regina Svirska, Director of Communication and several experts from corresponding sectors participated in the meeting on the Latvian part.
Ad Toet informed of topicalities in railway issues in Brussels as well as outlined three versions regarding a possible implementation of the project Rail Baltica. He stressed that this is one of the prior EU transport projects that affects the Baltic States. The participants of the meeting exchanged views on the situation in each of the three countries in connection with the further advancement of this project.
The implementation of EU Cohesion fund projects for 2004-2006 has been discussed and how the appropriations under this fund are being up taken in projects with the year 2013 as deadline.
One of the most pressing issues at the meeting was the discriminatory tariff policy by the company Rossijskie Zeleznije dorogi (RZD) regarding the ports of the Baltic countries. As it told Regina Svirska, Director of Communication, CER helps the railways of the Baltic States formulating the problem for the European Commission connected with the mentioned tariff policy.
The meeting passed in a constructive atmosphere and the managers of the railways of the Baltic States managed it to find a common viewpoint in the matters discussed.