RF, Latvia transport ministers to discuss train project.

RIGA, April 6 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Minister of Transport Igor
Levitin, who arrives here on Wednesday for a two-day working visit, is to
meet with Uldis Augulis, Latvian Minister of Railways, to discuss a
Riga-Moscow express train project, as well as matters concerning
cooperation between the two countries with a view to improving transport
infrastructure.
Levitin is to visit Riga at the invitation of Artis Kampars, Latvian
Minister of Economics. An official in the Economics Ministry press service
has told Itar-Tass that the two sides on Thursday will consider matters
relating to preprations for a session of the Latvia-Russia
intergovernmental commission on economic, scientific, technical,
humanitarian and cultural cooperation, which is slated for the beginning
of June. Levitin and Kampars are the Commission's Co-Chairmen.
Kampars pointed out, "Latvian President Valdis Zatlers visited Russia
in December last year. The long and purposeful work done by the
Latvia-Russia intergovernmental commission resulted in the signing of a
number of interstate treaties during the visit. During a (forthcoming)
meeting with Levitin at the level of the Commission's Co-Chairmen, it is
planned to reach agreement on further priorities in the Commission's work
and fix subsequent steps in our work".
Alexander Veshnyakov, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to
Latvia, and Pyotr Aven, Chairman of the Russian side of the Russo-Latvian
business council, will also take part in the meeting between the
Co-Chairmen of the Intergovernmental Commission.
A meeting between Levitin and Augulis will be also held on Thursday.
An official in the press service of the Latvian Ministry of Railways has
told Itar-Tass that the sides will discuss a Riga-Moscow express train
project and cooperation between the two countries for the purpose of
improving the transport infrastructure linking the two capitals. The
Latvian Ministry points out that Latvia and Russia conduct a substantive
dialogue at ministerial level and at the level of intergovernmental
commission experts. This is conducive to giving a boost to bilateral
interaction in the transport sector.
Augulis said earlier, "On April 6-7, Russian Transport Minister Igor
Levitin will visit Latvia. We shall discuss the development of railway
insfrastructure. Both sides take a similar view of this: it is impossible
to increase goods turnover via the ports of Latvia".
The Russian Ambassador to Latvia and executives of the Russian
Railways Company will be present at the Levitin-Augulis meeting.