On 1 March, President Edgars Rinkēvičs organized a discussion at the Riga Castle on the long-term development of Latvia’s energy sector and policy. The discussion focused on the need to develop a Latvian national energy sector strategy with a time horizon until 2050.
"The development of the energy sector is a matter of great importance for our competitiveness and security. Various stakeholders, including the Latvian rural population, local governments, as well as domestic and foreign investors, have expressed concern regarding the absence of a strategy, vision, or long-term plan for the energy sector. We do not have to start from scratch. There have already been numerous initiatives, plans, and assessments in this domain thus far, and it may be beneficial to build upon these existing efforts. We must draw on existing expertise to formulate a strategy with ambitious and realistic goals, along with clear tasks, deadlines, and divisions of responsibilities," said President Rinkēvičs.
During the discussion, the Ministers of Climate and Energy Kaspars Melnis and the Minister of Economy Viktors Valainis presented their respective visions for the development of the sector. Representatives from Saeima political factions and industry experts were also invited to share their views.
There was a consensus among the participating stakeholders regarding the need for clear objectives and benchmarks in developing a national strategy for the energy sector. A follow-up discussion is planned for the autumn of this year to discuss the concrete framework of the strategy with even broader stakeholder engagement.
