Latvian presidential residence to undergo refurbishment; rent to also increase

LNT show Top 10 News reported on June 7 2015, that Riga Castle, the official residence of the Latvian President, will undergo refurbishment in order to meet newly-elected President, Raimonds Vejonis’, needs when he assumes office on July 8. 

“The lath that came off was replaced, but in general, the place has not undergone any refurbishing,” said Andris Caune, a representative from the Latvian State Real Estate organisation. 

According to the organisation, a number of the property's aesthetic problems need to be repaired, as does the leaking ceiling on the upper floor. It also said the interior furnishings will be updated.

While the costs of the renovation were not revealed, Caune stated the price of the property’s rent will increase, and added “a lot will depend on the new President’s needs.” 

Following his election victory on June 3, Vejonis told Latvian Radio show, Krustpunkta, he would prefer to continue living in his current apartment in Ogre, and hinted the presidential residence could only be used for important functions. 

Vejonis, of the Union of Greens and Farmers party, obtained more than the 55 votes he needed from the Latvian Saeima to become the country's fifth President since it regained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. 

In June 2013, part of Riga Castle caught fire and suffered around 3,200 square metres of damage.