Viking Line mulling regular route to Riga

  • 2006-05-03
  • From wire reports
RIGA - The Finnish shipping company Viking Line has told Latvian Transport Minister Krisjanis Peters that it was interested in starting regular ferry traffic between the Latvian capital and a Finnish port. Peters, who accompanied President Vaira Vike-Freiberga on her state visit to Finland last week, told the Baltic News Service that he had visited Helsinki's port and also met with representatives of Turku's port, who have been particularly interested in cooperation with Latvia.

Turku Port officials said the terminal was undergoing significant changes 's e.g., the port was being moved away from the city center. They had also invited Peters to come see the port himself.
The transport minister sought Finland's support in negotiations with Russia over discriminatory railway tariffs. His Finnish counterpart, who is expected to visit Riga in June, said the subject had been mentioned in talks with Russia and Germany.
While in Finland, the two ministers discussed the Northern Dimension project and Finland's success concerning the green corridors.

At present, only one ferry company 's Tallink 's offers passenger services to Riga's port. Tallink put its Fantaasia ferry on the Riga-Stockholm route at the beginning of April this year. Riga Free Port manager Leonids Loginovs in March told the press that one other shipping company by Tallink had shown interest in starting passenger ferry services to Riga.