On 12 August, President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs met with Minister of Smart Administration and Regional Development Inga Bērziņa. During the meeting, the officials discussed support for local governments in dealing with the damages caused by the storm of 29 July, the planned 2025 budget for local governments, the progress of the administrative territorial reform, the Action Plan for Economic Growth in the Eastern Border Areas for 2024-2026, as well as the establishment of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence.
In the course of the meeting, President Rinkēvičs informed the Minister about his observations during his visit to the city of Jelgava and Kalnciems Parish, namely that the readiness of local governments to deal with crisis situations can differ significantly depending on the available resources. Cooperation needs to be improved between the municipalities of Latvia and the internal affairs sector, and measures for improving civil defence systems throughout the municipalities of Latvia must be provided for when planning next year’s budget for local governments. The President of Latvia thanked the Minister and local governments for their quick reactions and the support that was provided to local residents.
The President of Latvia reviewed the information compiled by the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development regarding the damages to municipalities caused by natural disasters and heard the Minister's vision about further actions to be taken. “I expect the Ministry to collaborate with local governments in appraising the damages caused by storms and flooding, and issue compensations as soon as possible, so that the damages can be remedied fully. Furthermore, possible improvements to crisis management, as well as rapid damage remediation systems need to be identified. It is also important to examine possible improvements to municipal infrastructure, such as drainage systems. Work needs to be continued with insurance providers so that they fulfil their commitments responsibly and quickly,” the President of Latvia said after the meeting.
Minister Bērziņa informed the President of Latvia about the progress in establishing the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence.
