On 13 March, President Edgars Rinkēvičs held a meeting with members of the Latgale Subcommittee of the Saeima Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee, and the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Inga Bērziņa, at the Riga Castle to discuss the Action plan for economic growth of Latvia's eastern border region from 2024 to 2026, which was developed by the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development.
The President of Latvia and the members of the Latgale Subcommittee of the Saeima agreed on the need to review and enhance the Action plan for the economic growth of Latvia’s eastern border region from 2024 to 2026, before its submission for approval by the Cabinet of Ministers. "I call on the members of the Latgale Subcommittee of the Saeima, together with the leadership of the Ministries of Environmental Protection and Regional Development, Education and Science, Economy, Transport and Defence, to collaborate on developing a comprehensive and feasible plan for the development of Latgale and the entire eastern border of Latvia. The plan should include targeted deliverables and measures for enhancing the region's security, improving the school network, upgrading road infrastructure, and stimulating entrepreneurial activity. This work must be completed with urgency because the needs of the people of Latgale cannot be postponed. Of course, the development of the Latgale region should be planned in conjunction with the development of other regions of Latvia. It is worth noting, however, that the Latgale region, alongside several other Latvian municipalities, serves as the external border of the European Union and NATO. This positioning entails a greater responsibility and a higher degree of mobility to alleviate security concerns and ensure the well-being of the residents of Latgale," said the President of Latvia after the meeting.
An agreement has been reached between the President of Latvia, the members of the Latgale Subcommittee of the Saeima, and the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development that the revised draft of the Action plan will be reviewed by the end of the spring session of the Saeima.
