Estonian PM: Rail Baltic agreement not to be put before lawmakers before April

TALLINN – The Estonian government will not send the Rail Baltic agreement to the parliament for ratification before the completion of the Rail Baltic feasibility study in April, Prime Minister Juri Ratas said after the Estonian government had given its nod to the agreement on Thursday.

"We will not send this agreement to the Riigikogu automatically for ratification, but will wait until the conclusive feasibility study is completed," Ratas said at the government press conference, adding that the feasibility study covering all the three countries will be ready in April.

"It is based on that study that the government must make a decision about sending it to the Riigikogu for ratification," he said. "The feasibility study carries great weight and it has to be discussed by the government once again then," Ratas, chairman of the Center Party, said.

Ratas declined to answer when asked whether the government could abandon the plan to build Rail Baltic if the findings of the feasibility study are negative. "I'm quite convinced that most European railways are supported by the state or the public sector," he said.

"Under no circumstances will the government take the decision concerning Rail Baltic lightly," Ratas said.

The government endorsed concluding the Rail Baltic agreement at its Cabinet sitting on Thursday and authorized the prime minister to sign it on Estonia's behalf.

The prime ministers of the three Baltic countries are scheduled to sign the agreement on Tuesday, Jan. 31.