Prime minister misses meeting in Riga, plane turned around
The plane carrying Prime Minister Jüri Ratas (Centre) and the delegation accompanying him was unable to land at Riga Airport due to bad weather on Monday morning, the Baltic News Service reported. The plane returned to Tallinn.
Mr Ratas was scheduled to attend a meeting with prime ministers Krišjānis Kariņš of Latvia and Saulius Skvernelis of Lithuania in Riga today Monday.
He and his delegation were travelling on board a surveillance aircraft of the Police and Border Guard Board, BNS reported, but couldn't land in Riga due to bad weather. The decision was made to turn the plane around.
His meeting with the new Latvian head of government would have been the first. "I wish Krišjānis Kariņš all the best, for his new task as prime minister as well as leading the work of the Baltic Council of Ministers," Mr Ratas said. "The priorities of Latvia—strengthening security, developing local interconnectivity and defending our common interests in the EU—are important to all of us."
The prime ministers were to meet to discuss transatlantic relations, issues concerning Russia and the situation in Ukraine. Three gargantuan infrastructure projects were also on the agenda, namely the continuing work on Rail Baltica, the common gas market of the Baltic states, and synchronising the electricity network of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with Central Europe.
Mr Ratas is meeting with Mr Kariņš on 8 February, when the new Latvian prime minister will visit Estonia.
Editor: Dario Cavegn