European Commission Officials Visit Daugavpils, Latvia

Strategic Insights -

Rafael Fitto, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Cohesion and Reforms, visited Daugavpils, Latvia on June 11, accompanied by colleagues from the European Commission and Latvian government representatives. The visit aimed to familiarize the officials with the country's Eastern border regions and discuss potential solutions to strengthen security and promote economic development in the area. During the trip, the delegation toured various development projects, including the Latgale Special Economic Zone, and met with local officials to discuss challenges and future needs of the region.

Key Takeaways:

  • The European Commission officials, including Rafael Fitto and Valdis Dombrovskis, visited Daugavpils to discuss possible solutions to strengthen the region's security and promote economic development.
  • The delegation learned about Latvia's experience in developing digital infrastructure and visited the Latgale Special Economic Zone company "Pulsar Optics" to assess its growth and competitiveness.
  • The Chairman of the Daugavpils City Council, Andrejs Elksnins, emphasized the need for special state and European Union support for the Latgale region due to its economic and social difficulties.
  • Elksnins proposed several initiatives requiring approximately 490 million euros in financing, including the electrification of the railway, development of new industrial areas, and modernization of the regional hospital.
  • Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis stated that the regional visit is related to the work on the next multiannual budget of the European Union, with a focus on providing support to the Eastern border.
  • The visit aimed to prepare proposals for targeted additional support for the region, which could be included in the EU's cohesion policy in the future.

Statistics:

  • 490 million euros: The estimated amount required for the implementation of the development proposals proposed by Andrejs Elksnins.
  • 3: The number of European Commission officials accompanying Rafael Fitto to Daugavpils.
  • 2: The number of regions where the electrification of the railway is proposed, including Aizkraukle-Daugavpils and Aizkraukle-Rezekne.
  • 4: The number of initiatives proposed by Elksnins, including the development of new industrial areas, preservation of cultural heritage, and modernization of the regional hospital.

Sources:

  • https://www.daugavpils.lv