‘Green’ left out of Development Plan

  • 2012-08-14

RIGA - The Latvian government on Aug. 14 approved the first draft of the National Development Plan as prepared by the Inter-ministerial Coordination Center, reports LETA. The first draft will be publicly discussed during the next month and the results of these discussions will be taken into account when preparing the final draft. The draft will be discussed in two stages - electronic and regional.

Education and Science Minister Roberts Kilis previously urged for inclusion of another vision in the Plan – that of Latvia becoming the world’s greenest country by 2020.

“The world’s greenest country is a vision pursued by many countries. However, Latvia is only a few steps away from fulfilling it, since it has already been recognized as the world’s second greenest country,” highlights the minister.
Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis (Unity) explained that Kilis’ motion could be considered as a suggestion during the plan’s further drafting. Taking into account that the plan already has a vision - economic breakthrough from near depression conditions – Kilis’ proposal could be incorporated in its current draft.

After the draft’s approval, Kilis told reporters that his proposal is not an alternative to the National Development Plan and should be incorporated into it, next to the plan’s vision of Latvia’s development.

“The Cabinet should assume an ideological stance regarding the country’s development. This is a proposal for the government’s ideological stance on the country’s future,” said the minister.

The minister explained that different types of economic breakthrough, and the National Development Plan’s motto, currently does not specify the exact one. The task force, which came up with the plan’s motto about Latvia as the world’s greenest country, believed that it would be important for Latvia to focus on a green economy.

The National Development Plan’s motto is ‘economic breakthrough.’ The plan’s priorities are economic growth, human security and growth throughout the country.