Baltic leaders must show will to complete Rail Baltica by 2030, Lithuania PM says

VILNIUS - Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said on Friday Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia must show clear political will to complete the Rail Baltica railway on schedule, despite doubts from European auditors over the 2030 deadline.

"Rail Baltica remains one of our most strategic priorities. It is not just about transport but also about security. It's strengthens connectivity, enables military mobility and reinforces Europe's resilience. We must show clear political will to complete it by 2030," Ruginiene told a joint press conference of Baltic prime ministers in Tallinn.

The European Court of Auditors stated in January that the Rail Baltica project would not be completed by 2030 as planned, noting the absence of a definitive implementation deadline.

According to the Prime Minister, Lithuania must invest national funds into Rail Baltica if European financing falls short. However, she expressed confidence in meeting the 2030 target: "We believe and we are sure that we will finish in time."

Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal told reporters that the heads of the Baltic governments agreed the track must be laid by that year.

Michal noted that if European Union member states can agree on the current 2028-2034 budget proposal by the end of the year, Estonia should secure the necessary European funds.

"If the budget proposal remains as it is today, that means we have the funding available to use. But it also means we need to contribute more," Michal said, adding that implementation in Estonia is progressing well.

Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina emphasized that the Baltic states should coordinate efforts to secure additional European Union funding in the bloc's next multi-annual budget. She acknowledged a current funding gap.

"We need to reduce costs (...) working together in securing future financing in EU," Silina told the press conference.

Silina noted that Rail Baltica is subject to intense political debate in Latvia, where the parliamentary opposition has initiated a special commission to investigate the project.

"Everyone is fighting for attention. I don't think that is good for the project," Silina said.

Rail Baltica is part of the European Union's North Sea-Baltic military mobility corridor. Under European Union law, core Trans-European Transport Network projects must be completed by 2030, with the full network ready by 2050. The line connecting Tallinn, Parnu, Riga, Panevezys, and Kaunas to Warsaw must be operational no later than 2030.

According to European Union auditors, project costs have ballooned 2.6 times over the past six years-nearly four times the original estimate-reaching 23.8 billion euros.

Rail Baltica will connect Tallinn, Parnu, Riga, Panevezys, Kaunas, Vilnius, and Warsaw, with the Lithuanian section spanning 392 kilometers.