Source: Latvian minister prepares emergency visit to Moscow

MOSCOW, Aug 18 (PRIME) -- Latvian Transport Minister Anrijs Matiss is preparing an emergency visit to Moscow in order to save transits from Russia, a source in the country’s Transport Ministry told PRIME on Tuesday.

Matiss plans to visit Moscow next week to meet with Russian Transport Minister Maxim Sokolov and discuss restrictions of Russian transit supplies through Latvia, the source said. “If the Russian transit is lost, the Latvian economy will suffer a significant blow. The minister will try to prevent this,” the source added.

According to the Latvian ministry, suspension of the Russian transit may inflict a 1.6 billion euro loss on the country’s economy.

On August 13, Aivars Straksas, a board member of Latvian state railway monopoly Latvijas dzelzcels, said that Russia suspended transit of coal through Latvia for two months due to poor condition of some of its railroads. A representative for Russian railways said separately that the company is carrying out scheduled maintenance of infrastructure, but they cannot impede transportation of transit cargoes to Latvia seriously.

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