The U.S. ambassador stressed that EU and NATO membership are not the only measures for the Baltic states' integration into Western institutions. "For the traveling public, and these are millions who use Baltic airports and air space annually, the full integration of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia into the international air traffic control system is far more important," Holmes said.
"This is the largest single grant we will make in Europe this year," Cabot said. "This speaks on priority the Baltic states have on our agenda."
"This grant will assist Latvia and the other Baltic states to meet the challenge of increasing technical requirements. It shows the three countries working closely with the United States and each other to integrate more into the world transportation system," Holmes stressed.
The agreement schedules a plan for implementing satellite and digital technologies and the advanced automation of air traffic management to meet the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
A plan as to what equipment the Baltic states' air navigation services will need to purchase to comply with these standards, and what other measures should be taken, needs to be ready in 15 months, said Edijs Kizenbahs, president of the Latvian air traffic control organization, Latvijas Gaisa Satiksme.
The actual implementation of the plan would need an additional $10 million investment and it could be achieved in four to five years, Kizenbahs said. He stressed that he doesn't rely on state assistance as the state has never subsidized air traffic control in Latvia.
Currently, all three Baltic states are using radar to control their airspace, along with the rest of Europe. Only a few countries in the world, namely China and part of Russia, are using satellite technologies to control and navigate their airspace. "When the Baltic states introduce this system, we will be ahead of all of Europe," Kizenbahs noted.
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