More On Friday at 10:34 the State Fire and Rescue Service received a call to Strazde parish firefighters used hydraulic tools to free three people from a minibus the van was occupied by students and two teachers of a vocal ensemble LTV confirmed at the Ventspils Culture Center The ensemble traveled to Daugavpils to take part in the final of the 5th International Young Singers Christmas Song Contest one adult – the conductor – lost her life in the accident A total of 8 people were also taken to hospital The victims were taken to hospital conscious including 2 specialist medical teams that are involved in particularly complex events One of the children injured in the accident lost their life after the tragic crash the Children's Clinical University Hospital (BKUS) confirmed to Latvian Television on Saturday "This child was taken to the Children's Hospital yesterday in a very serious condition and his life could not be saved," the hospital said Select text and press Ctrl+Enter to send a suggested correction to the editor Select text and press Report a mistake to send a suggested correction to the editor a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed in the Latvian city of Ventspils between the Ventspils Freeport Authority and the Ukrainian state enterprise "Sea Commercial Port Chornomorsk." This was reported on the Ventspils Port website The memorandum outlines the development of partnership relations in the areas of logistics the implementation of sustainable technologies and participation in international projects The parties agreed to regular information exchange and joint planning of future initiatives The agreement will remain in effect for four years from the date of signing with the possibility of extension by mutual consent The Port of Chornomorsk is one of Ukraine’s most important Black Sea ports Despite the challenges posed by Russia’s invasion It is a universal port handling various types of cargo and is the only port in Ukraine suitable for ferry operations Chornomorsk is a strategically significant logistics hub that continues to ensure Ukraine’s connectivity with global markets and supports regional cooperation referring to the law prohibiting the display of objects glorifying military aggression and war ideology in public outdoor space and stressing that this man's work was directed against independent Latvia calls on the local authorities to dismantle the Jānis Fabriciuss statue by November 11 this year "The sculpture can be placed in a museum or in a museum complex where totalitarian regime objects are located Military aggression is the only thing that this historical figure has essentially done in his life," said historian Didzis Šēnbergs a member of the Council of the Center for Public Memory the Center for Public Memory also sent a similar letter to Culture Minister Agnese Lāce (Progressives) Ventspils City Council said that the monuments glorifying Soviet rule were dismantled 30 years ago but Fabriciuss remains because he is a local man with high achievements in the military field and is a testimony to the times there have been no requests from official authorities nor was it included in the list of 69 monuments to be dismantled in 2022 when after the Russian invasion of Ukraine Latvia began a large-scale dismantling of monuments praising occupation The Council does not consider the letter received from the Center of Public Memory to be relevant "November 11 is not a realistic deadline at all we have calculated how much it would cost to dismantle the monument if it were decided on a national scale and we were given such a task together with the landscaping of the area," said Aldis Ābele Executive Director of Ventspils City Council He said out that the monument should be preserved in its current location but it should be supplemented with high-quality explanatory material about Fabriciuss' personality Then there is the opportunity to tell it all so that it doesn't happen again." a senior researcher at the Latvian National Archives said that more needs to be explained Today's explanations are often uncritically taken over from the Soviet years She stressed that history should not be destroyed and ignored "It doesn't have to be in a public space where both citizens and visitors see it and accept it as the norm It should not be the norm that this communist is still standing with all the Soviet paraphernalia - the star the hat - in which our occupiers entered this country in 1940 which has been experiencing economic difficulties and a drop in development for several years The decision to once again appoint Inguna Strautmane as the representative of the Ministry of Transport on the Board of Ventspils Freeport has caused a great deal of frustration among businessmen and industry professionals One of the main objections is that Strautmane is viewed as a “bureaucratic plant” not the leading force that could help improve the port’s situation which was once the engine behind Latvia’s economic growth is now in big trouble – development of the industry has halted Businessmen and experts note that a new approach and management are needed to revitalise the port’s operations and ensure growth for the entire regional economy which has been a notable figure in this field for several years is said to lack vision for development and is unable to create changes to improve the situation It is clear that businessmen want to see powers that are able to move the industry forward not just stick with existing bureaucratic plants Rapid changes are needed – will it be possible to revitalize the port More and more it is stressed that in order to ensure Ventspils port is able to return to growth and stability Businessmen want a new approach when it comes to administrative management new business opportunities and restoration of international competitiveness Multiple industry experts say that only a strong management that can attract investments and restore cooperation with the biggest global logistics companies The search continues for other potential managers that can potentially offer new opportunities and solutions to restore trust in the port and make its operations more efficient There are also indications that the new approach should be based on innovative technologies and sustainable development initiatives that meet modern demand and market dynamics What do businessmen expect from the future of Ventspils port Businessmen generally believe the “traditional” management model which is focused on preservation of political and administrative statuses They say that more than ever the port needs a dynamic and modern management capable of making fast decisions supporting businesses and promoting competition instead of slowing development The vision the industry has for long-term development proposes Ventspils port has the potential to become the leader in the Baltic region if appropriate transformation is commenced Businessmen note the Minister of Transport should promote a much more active approach and ensure more effective management selection for Ventspils Freeport It is necessary to enhance accountability and ensure only the people with specific skills knowledge and ability to implement effective reforms are allowed on the board Without greater selection and motivation from the state it is difficult to expect Ventspils port to return on the path of growth Follow us on Facebook and X the page you are looking for is currently unavailable.Please try again later If you see this error constantly and you are the system administrator of this resource then please make sure that you are not blocking our IP address: 51.210.136.122 The Ministry of Transport has failed to appoint its representative to the Ventspils Freeport Board for the next term LTV’s De Facto programme reported on the 23rd of February business representatives surveyed by BNN had also strongly opposed her candidacy “How is it possible to regulate the sector if an official is repeatedly appointed to a position despite not contributing to the development and growth of ports Industry representatives—stevedores and associations—have complained about her yet the requests of industry experts are ignored Does this approach not cause stagnation at a time when the state has every opportunity to promote port growth?” Business representatives expressed such and even harsher opinions to BNN regarding Inguna Strautmane’s work on the Ventspils Freeport Board he had supported the candidacy of the current Ventspils Port Board Chairwoman but this issue had not reached the government’s agenda unofficial sources suggested that objections to the reappointment of the current Ventspils Port Board chairperson came from the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) The party does not consider the ministry’s representative competent enough aligning with criticism previously voiced by former Ventspils Mayor Aivars Lembergs Lembergs criticized “appointees from Riga parties,” claiming that their presence had led to a decline in cargo volumes at the Ventspils port the former mayor did not mention that this decline began when he was included in the US sanctions list and was further affected by the war in Ukraine Deputy Chairman of the Ventspils City Council who frequently attends ZZS meetings in the Saeima building emphasized that the cargo decline at the Ventspils port had occurred precisely under the leadership of the Ministry of Transport Blumbergs also criticized the planned port reform proposed by the government which intends to grant the Ministry of Transport the decisive vote in disputed matters within port boards BNN previously reported that during Strautmane’s tenure the decline in cargo volume had been dramatic When she assumed the role of Ventspils Freeport Board Chairwoman in 2019 the cargo turnover at the port was 20.5 million tons While it is possible to attribute this to the complex geopolitical situation and Latvia’s major competitors—Klaipėda and Tallinn ports—show an upward trend in cargo volume Also read: Latvian PM’s “restart” plan: a desperate attempt to stay in office or the beginning of the political end? Though suspected of causing the crash, the driver had not been formally placed under suspicion because he was in a coma the legal process will most likely be terminated The bus with the young people and two conductors was traveling from Ventspils to Daugavpils The project is being developed by Stelo Orienta SIA The overall financing amounts to EUR 68 million NIB’s EUR 28 million loan is supported by the European Union under NIB’s InvestEU Framework Operation on Clean Energy Transition. This is NIB’s first InvestEU loan in Latvia Commissioner for Economy and Productivity said: “The European Commission is committed to mobilising much-needed investments to decarbonise the European economy while boosting Europe’s competitiveness and resilience InvestEU is our critical partner in delivering on these objectives will stimulate Latvia’s green transition by enabling further sustainable energies and reducing emissions.” The financing will increase the overall solar generation capacity in Latvia which currently stands at 600 MW.  Latvia’s energy system significantly relies currently still on fossil fuels which makes creating additional renewable energy capacities in the country a vital step towards the green transition “The desynchronisation from the Russian and Belarusian power grids will heighten the need for reliable domestic energy generation in the Baltics,” said André Küüsvek NIB President and CEO. “Creating new renewable capacities will help the Baltic states towards energy independence.” a subsidiary of European Energy will start the construction of the solar PV farm in the beginning of 2025 The solar farm is expected to be fully grid-connected in Q1 of 2026 making it possible to start commercial operations in the first half of 2026 the solar farm will be among Latvia's largest An Ecolines brand bus partially burned down in Ķemeri on Ventspils motorway on Friday Passengers were not injured in this incident At 13:00 the State Fire and Rescue Service received a call Passengers were evacuated from the vehicle before the fire fighters’ arrival Rescuers unplugged the bus battery and are currently continuing to work on the scene Videos posted on social media show the fire originated in the rear on the bus Chairman of the Board of Ecolines in Latvia explained to LETA that the flammable situation occurred because the exhaust heating up he indicated that it will be possible to use the bus again after replacing the exhaust Podgornijs estimated that the cost of repairs could be around EUR 15 000 Podgornijs also noted that this problem is relatively common Uz Ventspils šosejas pie Ķemeriem (A10, 44. km) aizdedzies pasažieru divstāvu autobuss. Notikuma vietā strādā operatīvie dienesti. Satiksme apgrūtināta, ziņo @LVceli. pic.twitter.com/RrIJtCYsMf — LTV Ziņu dienests (@ltvzinas) February 28, 2025 Also read: Latvian Minister of Culture to attend Oscars Ceremony in US, following success of “Flow” a van carrying children collided with a truck on the Ventspils highway in Strazde parish The conductor Anitra Niedre died in the accident Six children and two adults from the Ventspils Music Secondary School choir "Nošu planētas" and the Ventspils Culture Center vocal ensemble "Mazā prinča planētas" were injured. On Saturday it was announced that one of the children seriously injured in the accident had died at the Children's Clinical University Hospital The victims of the crash said that the occupants of the minibus were not wearing seat belts The drivers of the two vehicles involved in the accident said that the road conditions had been bad in the morning due to the ice and that they had not been able to brake in time "A driver must be aware of what he is driving the specific characteristics of these passengers must be taken into account And it is very important that they are wearing seatbelts There must not be such a lackadaisical attitude to safety I saw a car with a child just standing in the car," said traffic safety expert Irbītis it is not asked whether children will be transported special requirements apply to school buses It would also be unacceptable for a driver to start moving before making sure that all children are buckled up There should also be more teaching about road safety in schools In other parts of the world and here in Europe school transport operators have special qualifications and special instruction "And the municipalities that organize these transports Think about the transport used to transport children," Irbītis stressed Asked whether child carriers should have additional courses or training the expert replied: "We probably cannot make it a mandatory requirement in the current situation any company can do it on a voluntary basis Ventspils promises to take a special look at what happened pupils are mainly transported by the company "Ventspils reiss" but the Cultural Center itself has contracted private carriers The municipality has now stopped the practice of concluding such contracts with private companies "I have instructed a working group to be set up To assess all kinds of safety aspects as soon as possible so that the risks for our children are excluded as much as possible we will assess it so that nothing like this happens in the future," said Jānis Vītoliņš Two patients are currently receiving treatment at the Children's Clinical University Hospital following the tragic accident. "One patient And one patient is in the Surgery Department Specialists at the Surgical Clinic will assess whether there are any permanent complications from the injuries They will then try to allow the patient to recover and be treated at home as soon as possible," said Dace Barkeviča LVRTC explained that the center's data transmission monitoring system detected a disruption of data transmission services between Ventspils and Gotland LVRTC continues to provide services via other data transmission routes there may be a delay in data transmission speeds in cooperation with its technology partners has carried out a performance test of the system as well as network measurements from equipment in Ventspils "At the moment there are grounds to believe that the cable is significantly damaged and that the damage is due to external influences," said Vineta Sprugaine LVRTC has informed the relevant authorities The Center has also initiated criminal proceedings and criminal proceedings have now been initiated in relation to the damage to the cable Given that the cable is more than 50 meters deep the nature of the damage can only be determined once repair work on the cable has started Sprugaine added. The repair work will start as soon as an agreement is reached to put the repair vessel to sea The Navy of the National Armed Forces upon receiving information from LVRTC about damage to the Ventspils-Gotland fiber optic cable in the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone immediately deployed a patrol vessel to survey the vessel possibly involved The Navy has been in contact with NATO allies about the incident and there is an ongoing exchange of information The Maritime Operations Centre has carried out an analysis of ship movements in the area of the cable damage Two additional vessels were identified in the approximate area of the damage to the underwater infrastructure and were located outside the Latvian territorial sea and exclusive economic zone Admiral Māris Polencs, Commander of the Navy, said in a press conference that an algorithm for dealing with such situations had been developed in cooperation with LVRTC and had been put into operation A naval patrol vessel surveyed the area of the possible cable damage and also inspected the Michalis San The vessel was found to be en route to Russia No suspicious activity on board or damage to the anchor was observed by the Navy But the NBS continues to analyze the movements of other ships in the area and is in contact with NATO allies Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity) convened a meeting of the ministries and services responsible for the incident The Prime Minister noted that Latvia continues to cooperate with NATO and the Baltic Sea countries to clarify the circumstances and to investigate what happened LVRTC is the main operator of the terrestrial broadcasting network for radio and television programs in Latvia LVRTC manages the state-owned parts of the mobile operator Latvijas mobilais telefons (LMT) It has already been reported that several incidents have occurred in the Baltic Sea in the past when critical underwater infrastructure was damaged due to alleged Russian sabotage In early January, NATO announced that it would launch a new mission to protect submarine cables in the Baltic Sea The battery energy storage system (BESS) will be connected to the Latvian electricity transmission system this autumn The total investment in the project amounts to €7 million The project has been financed by OP Corporate Bank Utilitas Wind has been working on the energy storage battery system project for two years.  According to Urbanovičs, the battery system will store energy to transfer the generated electricity to users when there is a shortage in the electricity system Photo: Publicitātes attēlsPhoto: Publicitātes attēlsPhoto: Publicitātes attēlsPhoto: Publicitātes attēls The battery system includes six battery containers providing a total electricity capacity of up to 20 MWh This would be enough to power one electric car for 115,000 km one household washing machine for 19,000 wash cycles or nearly 3,000 households for one day "Alternative sources of electricity generation such as wind and solar are weather-dependent If there is strong wind during a particular period this is likely to be the case throughout the region This results in a surplus of electricity generated The opposite is true when there is no wind but the system we have in place gives us a great advantage - the ability to store 'excess' electricity to make up for when there is a shortfall," said Urbanovičs Minister of Economy Viktors Valainis (Greens and Farmers Union) "It is essential to build enough new green energy capacity to be able to have full confidence in the ability of our energy systems to function smoothly after the planned disconnection from the Russian BRELL ring early next year We are clearly moving in the right direction."  Utilitas Wind is part of the Estonian energy company OÜ Utilitas OÜ Utilitas Group develops and manages wind farms in all three Baltic countries and has invested €70 million in the development of the Targale wind farm Utilitas Wind has an installed capacity of 78.8 MW in Latvia from autumn 2022 generating 171 000 MWh of electricity in 2023 enough to cover the electricity consumption of 56 000 households Latvenergo AS acquired the Telšiai wind farm project in Lithuania The bridges over the Engure and Svēte rivers will also be rehabilitated It is planned that construction works will continue until the end of the year traffic on one section will be regulated by temporary traffic lights or traffic regulators and speed limits of 70 and 50 km/h there will be more reverse traffic sections and the road will need more time The construction works are being carried out by SIA Via for a contract price of EUR 2.5 million (including VAT) with construction supervision by SIA Ceļu inženieri The author of the construction design of the Svēte Bridge is JSC "Ceļuprojekts" The construction works are financed from the state budget Lembergs, who has been sanctioned by the United States since 2019 now finds himself the subject of an asset freeze after being included on a list of people "who are or have been involved in serious corruption."  In its announcement the UK government describes Lembergs as: "one of Latvia’s richest people who abused his political position to commit bribery and launder money Lembergs has attempted to hide the proceeds of his corruption in investment trusts and other corporate structures Liga Lemberga – also sanctioned today Lembergs was found guilty of 19 charges including extorting bribes and improper use of office in a court in Riga." The longtime kingpin of the Greens and Farmers Union (ZZS) party which is part of Latvia's current ruling coalition is joined on the UK sanctions list by his daughter but other members of his family are not on the list various other unsavory characters from around the world do keep him company including pro-Russia Ukrainian oligarch Dmytro Firtash, his wife Lada and a fixer named Denis Gorbunenko; Isabel Dos Santos the daughter of Angola’s former president who systematically abused her positions at state-run companies to embezzle at least £350 million (420 million euros), along with her friend and business partner Paula Oliveira and her Chief Financial Officer Sarju Raikundalia As previously reported by LSM, Lembergs, long-time big cheese of Ventspils and frequently referred to as one of Latvia's main "oligarchs", was on trial on corruption charges for more than a decade and was eventually found guilty and sent to prison.  Latvian courts started hearing the Lembergs case back in 2009 and its on-again, off-again character over the next decade became increasingly absurd as delays were encountered on a remarkably consistent basis Despite the fact that he was being tried on serious fraud and corruption charges Lembergs continued to play a very active role in politics via his patronage of the Greens and Farmers Union political force he would also opine on matters of world and domestic politics via the Ventspils municipal website frequently referring to himself in the third person UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:  "These unscrupulous individuals selfishly deprive their fellow citizens of much-needed funding for education healthcare and infrastructure - for their own enrichment. "  How much of an inconvenience the UK listing proves to be remains to be seen. Following the imposition of U.S. sanctions he complained that it might make it difficult for him to buy sausages at one of his self-centered press conferences Lembergs has in the past displayed a penchant for buying expensive clothes from upscale London tailors albeit hampered by a tendency to combine them in a somewhat gaudy sartorial style Visits to Savile Row and Jermyn Street  to have his trousers hemmed will no longer be an option for the diminutive Lembergs As well as an asset freeze that prevents any UK citizen or business from having dealings with him, a travel ban means that Lembergs and daughter are now personae non gratae in the United Kingdom Three municipalities will host fireworks displays on the evening of Monday let's sing!" will be held in Ventspils' Great Square at 6 pm The square in front of the Ogre Municipality Culture Centre will host fireworks at 6 pm Jūrmala Municipality will host fireworks at the Kauguri Culture House at 10 pm Other municipalities will have laser lights and multimedia performances this year a laser light show at the Freedom Monument will be held at 8:10 pm Projections of "Children Draw Latvia" by Pēteris Rozenbergs of the Cēsis City Art School will be shown on the facade of the Cēsis New Castle at 5 pm A multimedia story "Awakening in the Power of the Spirit" will be shown on the walls of the Dobele Evangelical Lutheran Church at 6 pm various places in the Ropaži municipality will have light sound and video performances "Staro Ropaži" on a multimedia story "A gift for Latvia on its birthday" will be shown on the tower of Trinity Church at 10 pm The Turaida Museum Reserve will present a light and sound story from November 16 to 17 One person died in a collision between three trucks on the A10 Rīga-Ventspils highway not far from Tukums. State Police said that the accident happened around 10:00 and one of the trucks caught fire after the collision Traffic is completely blocked and motorists are advised to take a lengthy detour using the V1442 Tukums–Lazda road ‼️⛔️Noticis ceļu satiksmes negadījums uz a/c Rīga-Ventspils (A10, 74. km), kurā iesaistītas kravas automašīnas. Satiksme pilnībā bloķēta. Apbraukšana pa a/c Tukums-Lazdas (V1442). pic.twitter.com/VqHDKCukxZ On Friday afternoon another incident was reported on the main A1 Via Baltica not far from the Estonian border which reduced traffic to a single lane for several hours but by early evening both lanes were again open.  As reported by LSM over the years, Latvia retains an unenviable reputation for having some of Europe's most deadly roads despite its relatively light volumes of traffic the State Police received information that the corpse of a newborn baby was found in a garbage container in a parking lot at Bangu Street 61 in Ventspils The State Police opened criminal proceedings The State Police would appreciate information from the public The police are appealing to citizens who have information about women who were pregnant but do not have a baby in their care Any information is useful for the investigation and will be checked Citizens who were in the parking lot on the night of May 11-12 and can provide useful information about vehicles or persons who were in or around the lot as well as car owners whose vehicles are equipped with video recorders the VUGD responded to a call in Ventspils region Three people had got out of the water on their own while two others were pulled out by a person who called the rescuers Emergency Medical Service (NMPD) medics and firefighters resuscitated two people where a boat with three people had capsized in the river Two had reached the shore before the arrival of the VUGD Rescuers searched the river but did not find the man on Sunday the search for the man continued and a little after one o'clock the deceased man was pulled out of the water and handed over to the State Police the VUGD received a call to the Saldus district Rescuers searched the body of water but did not find the man the search for the man continued and the deceased was pulled out of the water body shortly before 11 AM and handed over to the State Police VUGD received a call to Tārgale municipality where a deceased person was pulled out of a pond Shortly before 10 AM on Sunday, firefighters went to Kanāla Street in Rīga, where a deceased person was pulled out of a body of water and handed over to the State Police This year 63 people have lost their lives on the water including 38 people during the swimming season The VUGD urges people to be prudent and to observe safety requirements when recreating near and on the water: do not swim under the influence of alcohol The VUGD also reminds the public that inflatable flotation devices (rings etc.) are only suitable for children to play with in shallow waters and only with adult supervision A life jacket must be worn when participating in water sports Children under 12 are required by law to wear lifejackets when boating but firefighters encourage adults to wear them too Filia Dredging has completed the Port of Ventspils 2024 maintenance dredging campaign in Latvia “Immediately after the contract was concluded our TSHD Willem Sr was mobilized after which it spent the last month dredging silt in the waterways in the port and in waterways on the River Venta,” the company said.“Thanks to the excellent commitment of the team the work was completed well ahead of schedule.” The ice-free Port of Ventspils has the largest and most technologically advanced crude oil terminal in the Baltic states and can accommodate Panamax-size vessels Daily news and in-depth stories in your inbox Take note – story published 1 year and 3 months ago but only freight trains are currently going to Ventspils Passenger traffic stopped in February 2010 To restore train services between the capital and Ventspils residents have already collected nearly 1400 signatures on the initiative portal “Manabalss.lv” within a couple of days therefore it is planned to submit the initiative to the Ministry of Transport for evaluation The author of the initiative is Ivans Vasiļenko who often commutes by bus to Rīga and Ventspils "It was comfort primarily because I often go myself I take buses from Rīga to Ventspils or vice versa But a kind of motivator was that the topic has been quite popular lately - we have a new brand called Vivi and there's expanded train service to Liepāja I believe [traffic to Ventspils] can be restored The main thing is to redistribute resources correctly,” Vasiļenko told Latvian Radio The main question is whether the state is ready to pay for the trips said Ventspils Mayor Jānis Vītoliņš acknowledging that the municipality cannot afford it the problems are with the rolling stock of trains “The capabilities of existing diesel trains have actually been exceeded and exhausted So without looking for any additional rolling stock options state budget opportunities are extremely limited,” said Patriks Markēvičs deputy director of the Department of Railway Policy and Infrastructure at the Ministry of Transport Restoration of train movement could potentially happen within the next five to seven years.  “We're looking at a medium term right now we plan for battery-electric train deliveries and we are looking at how such transportation could be provided It should be noted that there is a need for investment in infrastructure The court-mandated prohibition for Aivars Lemberg to perform duties as mayor of Ventspils has been in force and is likely to have been violated for so long that for a large number of people this has become perfectly normal This contributes to the belief that court rulings if there is even the slightest possibility Am I the only one who thinks that’s how we run the risk of falling dangerously close to legal nihilism It can be assumed that performing the duties of “the big boss of the city” and demonstrating it to everyone is not at all important to Lembergs if not for five attempts to challenge this security measure in Latvian courts of law ten failed attempts in the European Court of Human Rights and now one rejected complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee because it does allow for the believe that requirements of the law be they on a national or international level are not just there to serve some specific people’s wants and wishes he remained in charge of Ventspils all these years He did not (not even once) lose power as chairman of Ventspils City Council and he remained the de facto boss of Ventspils Freeport until 2019 when he was presented with US OFAC sanctions This is no secret to VARAM (the name of which as of the 1st of July if officially the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development) the ruling political elite or Saeima deputies The many official documents of recent years still bear the signature of Lembergs as chairman of Ventspils City Council and no one with any real power has yet to even consider that this man is not allowed to perform these duties Although then the Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development Edmunds Sprūdžs dismissed Lembergs from his post in 2012 the court was quick to cancel this decision Can you guess which of the two men in question submitted his resignation in the end This made it into no more than a largely ignored Don Quixote’s battle with a windmill this windmill can perfectly perceive and direct the wind of public opinions we can mention Lembergs’ own complaint submitted to the UN Human Rights Committee This complaint basically states that Lembergs’ civil and political rights to participation in the work of the state and municipality and the right to access to state governance were breached in February 2017 (two months prior to the complaint being submitted to the UN) Lembergs revealed during his weekly press-conferences that the security measure – the prohibition to performing duties as chairman of Ventspils City Council – is no obstacle to him engaging in political activities the council chairperson has only a few statutory duties under the law that he is prevented from performing because “the council chairperson has virtually no statutory duties under the Local Government Law.” If the duties of local government leaders are nothing more than bean peels then why are politicians of both national and local parties racing so hard for the chain of mayor’s office Perhaps it is worth talking about the ambivalence not only of individual politicians ministries and law enforcement agencies turn a blind eye to problems that a sharp-tongued “awkward passenger” without any complexes It is a tragic comedy – to observe how hard Prime Minister Evika Siliņa’s government is trying to pretend that Aivars Lembergs is no on the agenda at all and Lembergs has put on a show-white toga of an opposition politician claiming the government is destroying democracy and that he as a member of the opposition is not allowed “to speak his mind on the government’s radio or TV” We can only wait and see when Minister of Agriculture Armands Krauze or Minister of Economics Viktovs Valainis proclaim themselves as members of the opposition which is a partner to the Union of Greens and Farmers The argument that Lembergs will not sit at the coalition discussions table doesn’t work here As long as For Latvia and Ventspils remains a partner to the Union of Greens and Farmers and two of this party’s members are deputies of ZZS Saeima faction Aivars Lembergs remains will remain a political figure Evika Siliņa’s government will have to Lembergs no longer has the kind of influence he had during the “stipend recipients textbook” it is unlikely he hasn’t kept at least a note from that textbook ZZS’ refusal to stop working with Lembergs no matter the crimes he is accused of is a clear sign of this if the UN Human Rights Committee were to admit that Lemberg’s rights had been breached by the state not only in some secret or less secret negotiations with those in power since the appeal in cassation has been lodged by both Lemberg and the prosecutor and other parties Also read: Saeima asked to look into Aivars Lembergs’ suggestion to not provoke Russia Lloyd's List is part of Maritime Intelligence This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Maritime Insights & Intelligence Limited registered in England and Wales with company number 13831625 and address c/o Hackwood Secretaries Limited Lloyd’s List Intelligence is a trading name of Maritime Insights & Intelligence Limited Lloyd’s is the registered trademark of the Society Incorporated by the Lloyd’s Act 1871 by the name of Lloyd’s For high-quality copies or electronic reprints for distribution to colleagues or customers please call UK support at +44 (0)20 3377 3996 / APAC support at +65 6508 2430 The Latvian port is a key Baltic distribution point for middle distillates such as diesel and gasoil as well as other refined products shipped to northwest Europe and West Africa A subscription is required to continue reading this content Your username does not meet the requirements Sorry - public email accounts are not allowed An account with that username already exists Unfortunately we've not been able to process your registration Your question has been successfully sent to the email address below and we will get back as soon as possible This article has been sent to my@email.address ООО Медиа-группа "ПортНьюс" ИНН 7841028303 ERID: 2W5zFHSvr2C ООО "Газпромнефть Марин Бункер" ИНН 7838392447 ERID: LjN8KPSVp the terminals at the Freeport of Ventspils processed 2.38 million tons of cargo a 1.5% increase compared to the first quarter of 2024 The volume of oil products and ferry-transported cargo rose stated: “The conditions in which the port terminals currently have to operate are very difficult The possibility of attracting cargo is directly affected by geopolitical circumstances We are pleased that the terminals have managed to stabilize the condition and stem the decline we are working on moving towards the concept of an energy port with a strong emphasis on renewable energy resources in the broad sense of the word along with servicing Latvian and Baltic exports and imports.”   Oil products accounted for the largest cargo volume at 1.3 million tons with a 79% increase compared to the previous year Ferry cargo on the Latvia-Sweden route grew by 22% reflecting stabilization in the Scandinavian market partly due to EU sanctions on manganese ore  Other cargo handled included wood products (pellets The Freeport of Ventspils is Latvia’s second-largest port by cargo volume and a major industrial hub Ventspils ranked third among Latvia’s largest cities for production volume and led in per capita production and export.  2016 issued by Roskomnadzor.Founder: PortNews Media Group LLC Editor-in-Chief: Tkacheva Kristina Viktorovna. When reprinting materials of PortNews IAA “PortNews” active reference to the agency is obligatory The use of PortNews IAA “PortNews” materials for commercial purposes is not allowed without the written permission of the agency Any use of materials is allowed only in the presence of a hyperlink to PortNews IAA editor@portnews.ru IAA “PortNews” acquaints its readers with the latest news and current trends in maritime and river shipping development of international transport corridors PortNews is the leading source of information and information on the development of international transport corridors Take note – story published 1 year and 8 months ago The first of those who have already registered include catering establishments for whom the issue of biological waste is particularly relevant but there is a lot of activity in the Ventspils sorting area and every now and then a car or people with bicycles come says that “255 people were visiting the area during the day and there was a boom in the evening so that you couldn't get in” the biological waste isn't sorted at home everything stinks,” says Grīnerte Latvian Radio also addressed a Ventspils resident who has come to the sorting area there's so much I don't know where to put so much in the compost Another gentleman said that with his wife they are sorting garbage but it is unclear how to sort biological waste: “If I have to take each bottle of kefir here How about the biologics – I don't know there's two of us, we can't fill [the garbage can] up every month.” amendments to the binding rules in Ventspils state will have to be approved which will also to a large extent determine the procedures for the sorting and collection of biological waste and will also determine the frequency of the collection of waste The trial is needed to understand how it can work and what can be improved deputy manager of the Ventspils labiekārtošanas kombināts Ltd "Our campaign is called Sort Bio-Logically. We are preparing for the mandatory sorting of biological waste next year see how to do it and whether the people will be satisfied Although we only announced the trial on Monday interest has already grown," said Mičule The Windmill tavern of Paskiekste has applied for the trial Chef Elvis Rībens says biowaste is a topical issue so he also decided to get involved in the trial biological waste will be there, especially breakfast food which is a problem everywhere in the world [..] we give some food leftovers to rabbits bread to horses,” Rībens said.  Although there are different options for maximizing the use of food it is not entirely possible to avoid the production of biological waste but hotels toss large quantities of food away,” he added Existing plants will be adapted to the landfill site and there will be an additional line Deputy Head of Ventspils labiekārtošanas kombināts Ltd Sandra Ozoliņa said that existing plants will be adapted at the landfill site and there will be an additional line to improve the acceptance of biological waste Unlike “green” waste managed by labeled green bags brown-colored containers will be installed for food and kitchen waste management The application for the trial in Ventspils will continue until August 28 Take note – story published 1 year and 1 month ago Construction works will last until the end of this year traffic will be organized in one lane with traffic lights in two sections with 25 minutes planned to cross the entire construction section The project will involve the reconstruction of the road surface with a recycled layer in most of the section but also the reconstruction of the entire road structure in places.  The construction works are being carried out by the supplier association "VIA un Vianova" for a contract price of EUR 5,335,363.55 (incl and construction supervision is provided by Būvju profesionālā uzraudzība SIA.  The construction works are financed by the European Union's Recovery Fund Take note – story published 2 years and 11 months ago The port's current management says it could have suffered €1.3 million in losses over a very long period The broadcast has reported many times that for decades money from private companies state and local government institutions flowed to various associations led by Lembergs which provided him with a much higher income than the salary of the Chairman of the City Council under law These practices took place until the United States put Lembergs on its sanctions list in late 2019 An investigation has now been initiated by the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) on Ventspils Free Port transfers to one of the associations – the Ventspils Development Agency This was revealed a couple of weeks ago by an opposition Member the port board member Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis (Unity) who was authorized by the port to prepare evidence for law enforcement authorities the Free Port Authority has identified losses of around €1 million 300 thousand," Kristovskis told LTV The Ventspils Development Agency was founded in 1998 by local government and port companies such as “Ventspils nafta” The association was entrusted with city marketing as well as local government authorities became members which paid hundreds of thousands of euros a year in membership “The biggest share was paid by the Free Port Authority around EUR 113 thousand per year,” Kristovskis said The audit noted that in 2001 the Ventspils Development Agency also led by Lembergs, to become a member of the agency The port manager Imants Sarmulis said then that one-off members' money will have to be paid: 35 thousand lats or 50 thousand euros This amount covers a variety of services for an unlimited period But Freeport continued to pay membership money annually and it grew four times. The payment was usually hidden in one of the budget aisles KNAB is now investigating a potential large-scale waste and abuse of the position of service Former Port Manager Sarmulis said he doesn't remember why he reported in 2001 that the payment would be one-off He claims that it is the agency that has helped develop the port's industrial zone so payments to the association have been justified “Lembergs directly managed the whole job I went to talk to him several times a week,” Sarmulis said Lembergs, already the subject of a separate, astonishingly protracted corruption trial, allegedly received close to €100 thousand in salary from Ventspils Development Agency Lembergs confirmed to De Facto that KNAB had sent questions to the association He links criminal proceedings to the nearing of the elections and is convinced that nothing illegal has happened the meeting of the association identified the indicative figure that it would be desirable to pay [members' money] in terms of the size of the work how [the port] entered into the association and the membership money is not decided on by the association but by the port,” the former mayor said but together there were eight board members The KNAB did not provide any information about the criminal proceedings to Latvian Television Take note – story published 2 years and 8 months ago The Latvian Civil Aviation Agency (CAA) confirmed that an aviation accident occurred at sea “The CAA can confirm that a “Cessna” passenger aircraft has fallen within the Latvian airspace near Ventspils with rescue and search jobs being carried out in accordance with all procedures Vessels from Latvia have gone to carry out rescue work as well as helicopters from Lithuania and Sweden to reach the site as soon as possible,” CAA spokesman Aivis Vincev said on Latvian Radio Swedish news outlet Dagens Nyheter reported that Cessna 551 was built in 1979 and took off from Spain at 15:57 Latvian time. According to the German news outlet Bild there were four people on the plane - the pilot The pilot had allegedly reported problems with cabin pressure over northeast France the pilot could have lost consciousness. At 20:37 it was recorded that the plane was rapidly losing altitude and speed then the aircraft disappeared from the radar drones had also been sent on the search missions Germany and Denmark had also sent military planes to inspect the plane but were unable to establish contact with it A wreck and oil-like spot was spotted by a Swedish rescue helicopter Chief of the Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS) Marine Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Pēteris Subbota confirmed to Latvian Television that Latvia was also involved in rescue work The NBS coastguard ship arrived at the site of the incident which will continue search work involving helicopters from Sweden and Lithuania Shortly after the downfall of the aircraft a ferry which had traveled from Ventspils to Sweden Subbota told Latvian Radio that one piece of the plane and a concentrated waste patch had been found The passengers had not been found by Monday morning UK newspaper The Guardian reported that the owner of the plane was a German businessman Take note – story published 1 year and 10 months ago In the category “Business-friendly city 2023” Jūrmala won third place and Jelgava came second in the “Business-friendly municipality 2023” category LTRK gave third place to Jēkabpils municipality The LTRK said that municipalities have been assessed on a number of criteria - the municipality's response to the entrepreneur's interest in developing a business in a given region the local government's support for educational institutions in the implementation of business programs and the organization of student enterprises the assessment of entrepreneurs and the number of companies registered in the specific municipality Jūrmala won first place in the “Business-friendly city” category Bauska municipality was first in the “Business-friendly municipality” category while the second and third places were shared by Kuldīga municipality and Tukums municipality 2023 men’s volleyball champions emerged in Latvia and Bahrain over the weekend. Ventspils triumphed in Latvia, while Bani Jamra lifted the trophy in Bahrain. After finishing fourth in the eight-team double round-robin Optibet Latvian Championship Volleyball League on a 7-7 win-loss record, Ventspils marched through the playoffs undefeated, eventually upsetting regular season winners Rigas Tehniska Universitate (RTU) in four sets in one of Saturday’s semifinals, and third-placed Augsdaugava Daugavpils in a dramatic five-set championship match at the Final Four in Jurmala on Sunday. Ventspils came back from a set down twice in the final to celebrate a 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 24-26, 25-15, 15-13) victory over Augsdaugava. 37-year-old opposite Gatis Garklavs contributed an amazing 37 points, including five kill blocks towards the win. Winning the Latvian Championship Volleyball League also meant that Ventspils qualified for the national playoffs, along with the three teams that represented the country in the Baltic League.  Ventspils celebrate as Optibet Latvian Championship Volleyball League 2023 champions (Photo credits: volejbols.lv) The bronze medal match was also a five-set affair. RTU came back from two sets down against Vecumnieki to make the podium after a 3-2 (23-25, 23-25, 25-16, 25-17, 15-9) win. This way Vecumnieki, the team that had lost only twice all season, the smallest number of defeats among all eight participants, was left without a medal after losing both their semifinal against Augsdaugava and the third place match against RTU in deciding tie-breakers. Bani Jamra celebrate as BVA League 2023 champions (Photo credits: asianvolleyball.net) 14 teams took part in the 2022-2023 season of the men’s Bahrain Volleyball Association League. They were divided into two round-robin pools with the top three teams from each pool advancing to a double round-robin Final Six. The best four then moved on to the semifinals. In Saturday’s big final in Riffa, Bani Jamra pulled off a 3-1 (25-20, 25-21, 25-27, 25-20) victory over Busaiteen. The team of A’Ali completed the podium with bronze. Bahrain Volleyball Association President Sheikh Ali bin Mohammed Al Khalifa presided over the presentation and closing ceremony, actively attended by a number of Board of Directors members. A post shared by Bahrain Volleyball Association (@bahrainvolleyball) The FIVB is the governing body responsible for all forms of Volleyball on a global level Working closely with national federations and private enterprises to develop Volleyball as a popular media and entertainment sport FIVB Fédération Internationale de Volleyball Château Les Tourelles Edouard-Sandoz 2-4 1006 Lausanne Switzerland Phone: +41 213 453 535 Fax: +41 213 453 545 Learn how to describe the purpose of the image (opens in a new tab) Leave empty if the image is purely decorative Take note – story published 3 years and 10 months ago Vitoliņš ran against rival candidate Bruno Jursevics of the New Conservative Party (JKP) in the mayoral election Vitoliņš was elected Ventspils mayor by seven votes and five abstentions Five councilors voted for Jurševics six voted against him and one councilor abstained councilors' attempt to re-elect long-standing Ventspils mayor Aivars Lembergs despite the fact he is serving a prison sentence and the city council's meeting was suspended Lembergs was the only candidate originally nominated for Ventspils mayor For Latvia and Ventspils won seven seats on Ventspils City Council New Unity and Latvian Association of Regions - two seats each and the New Conservative Party and National Alliance - one seat each Riga Regional Court on February 22 slapped a five-year jail term confiscation of property and a EUR 20,000 fine on Lembergs for offences involving money laundering and bribery Lembergs was able to run in June's municipal elections and the people of Ventspils appeared to brush aside any concerns about electing a convicted criminal to represent their city.  Lembergs had been mayor of Latvia's sixth-largest city, since 1988 Concrete blocks and oak pillars designed as shore reinforcements are certainly more than 100 years old and possibly 200 years old and are continuing to perform their function very effectively to the present day according to construction manager Andrejs Harčenkovs of the BMGS company The well-preserved structures are located along the banks of the River Venta near its confluence with the sea and "look as good as new" said Harčenkovs who estimated that they might be 200 years old the structures of this old jetty were partially dismantled precisely at the point where this separating canal is located - the entrance to the new fishing port. But further down it was not known what old constructions still existed,” said Maris Petrovskis Head of Technical Department of the Freeport Authority A lack of contemporary documents in the archive has made the whole process of digging up the banks one of discovery giant concrete sections were also revealed one of the heaviest weights being up to 60 tonnes. These are clearly more than a hundred years old Work on strengthening the banks continues and another complicated phase is getting underway which may also bring new historical surprises You can see pictures of the discoveries in the news report above Take note – story published 5 years and 4 months ago Transport Minister Tālis Linkaits (New Conservative Party JKP) told journalists a coalition cooperation meeting on Monday that the coalition partners agreed to put before the government a decree on the establishment of a new joint stock company that would take over the rights obligations and functions of the Freeport of Ventspils To legally turn the port's functions over to the new company respective amendments will be proposed to the Law on Ports and the Law on the Freeport of Ventspils.  "Our task is to quickly set up a new structure that would be authorized to conclude agreements with tenants in the port's territory and with shipping agents to ensure the arrival of ships at the port," the transport minister said.  The new state-owned company might be called Ventas Osta (Venta Port) and its supervisory board would include representatives of four ministries which would delegate representatives to the company's supervisory board It is planned that the members of the new company's supervisory board will be appointed without organizing a competitive tender We will appoint board members right away," said Linkaits It is not clear yet who might be appointed to the company's management and supervisory boards This is a matter of a couple of days," Linkaits said noting that it is not easy to persuade someone to undertake the task of setting up a company from scratch particularly in emergency conditions.  The minister said that operations at the port of Ventspils are ongoing but that there is uncertainty and concerns about the future "It is our duty to provide legal certainty as soon as possible so that on January 1 all business operations are handed over to the new structure,"  the politician said.  Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš (New Unity) last Thursday ordered the creation of a task force led by Linkaits to ensure the continued operation of the Freeport of Ventspils and reduce the risk of corruption targeted sanctions on Latvia's transit system and the economy at large As previously reported Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) on December 9 imposed sanctions on Ventspils mayor Aivars Lembergs and a number of entities linked to him OFAC has listed four organizations that it says belong to or are controlled by Lembergs - Ventspils Freeport Administration and the Latvian Transport Business Association a significant shipment for Latvia's power system stability has been received from the Germany This includes – the second synchronous condenser Ordered by JSC "Augstsprieguma tīkls" (AST) and manufactured by "Siemens Energy" synchronous condenser will ensure the stable operation of the power system after disconnection from the Russian-controlled system and synchronisation with the Continental Europe Synchronous Area (CESA) this important shipment will be delivered to the AST substation in Ventspils the first synchronous condenser was installed in Latvia in Grobina and this week construction of the synchronous condenser station building will begin in Līksna where the third condenser equipment will be delivered by the end of the year The total investment of the project reaches 114 million 75% being the co-financing of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) a general partnership formed by Siemens Energy of Germany and SIA Enersense of Latvia and connect to the transmission network three synchronous condenser stations.  Synchronous condensers will ensure the necessary inertia in the electric power system as well as short-circuit power for relay protection and the safe connection of solar and wind power plants The synchronous condensers will be installed in Latvia and Estonia — three in each country.The construction of synchronous condensers is part of the transmission system infrastructure reinforcement projects needed to synchronise the Baltic electricity system with the CESA The synchronisation project is in its final phase three Baltic states will decouple from Russian and Belarusian grids to join the CESA The synchronisation of the Baltic networks with CESA will increase the security of electricity supply in the region while promoting the development of the European internal energy market and creating new business opportunities The investments in equipment and technologies are also one of the preconditions for the secure connection of large-scale renewable energy sources to the transmission network and for meeting the objectives of the European Green Deal About JSC "Augstsprieguma tīkls" the Latvian electrical power transmission system operator ensures uninterrupted and secure transmission of electricity throughout Latvia Its vision is to become the leading transmission system operator in the region through the efficient and successful implementation of development-oriented changes AST has 68.46% shareholding in the capital of the operator of the natural gas transmission and storage system AS “Conexus Baltic Grid” A subscription to The Baltic Times is a cost-effective way of staying in touch with the latest Baltic news and views enabling you full access from anywhere with an Internet connection. Subscribe Now! 2025 © The Baltic Times /Cookies Policy Privacy Policy Take note – story published 4 years and 11 months ago Due to the state of emergency announced in Latvia Many artists looked for ways to adapt to the circumstances musicians of Kurzeme Philharmonic and concert hall "Latvia" started visiting courtyards to give concerts for viewers at home The creative team travel to inner courtyards of Ventspils City to provide concerts to the residents The event is scheduled to take place in nine courtyards "We don't want to lose ties with listeners I am one of the few who do not see online streams as a solution We want to do something real," said Miks Magone artistic director of the concert hall Latvia The organizers and performers follow all security measures and invite the audience to do the same Residents have responded to the events with interest and possibly this could become a tradition one must take into account the sun and the wind It's very pleasant," said cellist Kārlis Klotiņš These will take place on Thursdays and Fridays between May 14 and June 12 concert sites will not be publicly disclosed and security will be monitored by the Liepāja City Municipal Police we want to help musicians as much as possible and provide an opportunity to reach out to their audience the listeners are asked to open their windows wide and let in fresh air and tunes," said Juris Jirgens Live broadcasts will be provided on social networks of the municipality of Liepāja Courtyard residents will be informed about the concert two days prior to the scheduled event Aboard were representatives of "Latvijas dzelzceļš" (Latvian Railways) and "Pasažieru vilciens" (Passenger Train) arriving in Ventspils as part of an effort to see if passenger services should be restored between the Latvian capital and the coastal city AS "Pasažieru vilciens" management assessed the existing infrastructure and discussions were held on whether a rail link would be cost-effective and able to compete sufficiently on cost and time with coach services by road between the two cities if we understand how we can reach the maximum also come to the municipality," said Rodžers Jānis Grigulis Chairman of the Board of Pasazieru vilciens They also planted some trees before hopping back on the train Ventspils is the only major city from which a passenger train does not run to Rīga though freight and oil wagons can be seen completing the route many times each day partially as a result of Russia increasingly using its own ports wherever possible a member of Ventspils Freeport's management board said: "There are things we can't influence We'll hope for the best and see what happens." Passenger services on the route came to an end in 2010 Take note – story published 1 year and 11 months ago The overall length of the route at Ventspils Adventure Park is 800 meters of which the track is 580 meters and the hoist is 220 meters The track will be available to visitors as of June 10 this year The sled will be able to reach a speed of 40 km/h during the ride. One or two people will be able to ride in the sled at the same time The construction work of the toboggan track was carried out by the company SIA “Pilsbūve” the German toboggan producer Josef Wiegand GmbH & Co The project was co-financed by the State budget at €1.6 million where historical pollution is being eliminated is located only a few hundred meters from the Baltic Sea The work is carried out by JSC “VentEko” It is hard to imagine that oil products are floating beneath the ground plants are blooming and the sea is in the distance. Ventspils water purification plants were once located nearby Drills and long pipes are now in the sand of the dunes where oil products are pumped out of groundwater said: “It is an industrial area that historically These all activities have resulted in contamination of more than two hectares of groundwater.” The environmental problems in this area have been raised even before independence was restored A special commission was also set up in the USSR including financing for ecological problems in Ventspils recalls Ventspils Free Port Board member Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis (New Unity) I created an environmental protection club in Ventspils as a young engineer Only then did we not have the opportunity to solve it We could draw the public's attention to the fact that there were breaches of technical regulations A small surface of floating petroleum products is visible on the surface “Imagine a vacuum cleaner at home when you clean carpets The container contains powerful vacuum pumps essentially pulling up the oil production from the wells with water and steam [..] Contaminated water is pumped and discharged into a storage tank,” explained Arta Bažovska Petroleum products are separated from water by treating them with special substances The purified and oxygen-saturated water is then released into the ground to flush the groundwater groundwater is not so polluted that we could say that pollution is entering the sea we will be able to impose a filter barrier proactively at this time so that it will be intercepted in the potentially dissolved fraction risks are removed by this project,” Bažovska said The works were launched on March 30 this year and are scheduled to take place for about one year around 25% of the floating pollution layer of petroleum products has been reduced This webpage uses Cookies and JavaScript in order to work properly We strongly recommend to enable those technologies in yur browser In case of wrongly displayed content you can request necessary information at e-mail address wwwadmin@mzv.cz Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Latvia made his regional visit to Ventspils in the Kurzeme region while making his contribution to the Czech - Latvian cultural relations attended the conference "The Parallels of Ventspils VII Venstpils for 100 Years of Latvia“ organized by the Venstspils University The conference was held in the city library Pārventas Czechia to Send New Ambassador to Lebanon "Czech Support to Ukraine Will Continue," Minister Lipavský Assured Ukrainian Foreign Minister Sybiha World Press Freedom Day 2025 New Ambassadors to Jordan and Ukraine The acquisition of the ferry and RoRo port operations in Vetspils is still subject to authority approval for competition compliance Commercial details of the agreement will not be disclosed Stena Line has operated a route between Ventspils and Nynäshamn Sweden since 2012 and the company said its latest announcement was proof of its "long-term commitment to Ventspils – one of Stena Line’s strategic sites in the Baltic Sea." "Direct ownership of the operations in Ventspils will give Stena Line the initiative in future expansion opportunities as Latvia continues to grow its importance as a maritime nation with increasing trade volumes," the company said “The Baltic Sea is a major growth region for Stena Line and our investment in Ventspils shows how committed we are to develop our business with Latvia” “With this strategic move we have secured a long-term position in an essential part in our European network and I am looking forward to working with our customers and partners to continue expanding in the region” The growing customer demand on the route connecting Latvia and Sweden recently called for a capacity boost through two ferries – Stena Baltica and Stena Scandica These extended ferries added 30 per cent of freight capacity on the route as well as offering space for a maximum of 970 passengers in each vessel A similar expansion was made to the route Liepaja adding 40 per cent freight capacity through the introduction of Stena Livia and Stena Flavia also shortening the crossing time substantially The company’s Baltic Sea expansion also includes the opening of a new route between Nynäshamn adding capacity and infrastructure which supports Stena Line’s operations to both Latvia and Finland The Local Europe ABVästmannagatan 43113 25 StockholmSweden A fibre-optic data cable belonging to Latvian public service TV and radio channel LVRTC The cable is about 50 metres below the surface of the Baltic Sea a ship flying under the Maltese flag which left a Russian harbour on Friday we seized a vessel that we suspected being part of this sabotage The vessel was seized and is now currently anchored in Swedish waters outside Karlskrona The vessel's name is Vezhen," a spokesperson for the Swedish security police "Swedish authorities are currently on board the vessel in order to carry out investigative measures Swedish authorities were on board as of yesterday evening and have been on board since then." According to a photographer from the TT newswire Images from the ship taken in July last year show an intact anchor but it is not yet clear at what point the anchor was damaged The CEO of the Bulgarian company which owns the ship denied when questioned by AFP that the damage was intentional He also said that the vessel was ordered by the Swedish coast guard to enter Swedish waters The fact that the ship is in Swedish waters is important as it means that Swedish authorities have the right to board the ship a different vessel suspected of cable sabotage in the Baltic That vessel was in international waters, which meant that the country where the ship is registered, China, could bar Swedish prosecutor Henrik Söderman from boarding to investigate in December The Local's Richard Orange went to Karlskrona on Monday where the K 033 coast guard vessel which stopped Vezhen was back in the main Handelshamnen harbour While he was there the vessel was boarded by several black clad officers although we could not confirm whether or not they were from the security police but it appears to have happened early on Sunday morning the damage is located 130 kilometres from the channel's Ventspils site "We suspect that gross sabotage took place in the Swedish economic zone yesterday," prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist told the TT newswire on Monday morning Multiple authorities met at short notice and started to handle this incident." Ljungqvist did not comment on the ship's damaged anchor there is "reason to believe" that the cable is seriously damaged and that it was caused by "external influence" it has not yet been confirmed that it was deliberately damaged Ships and aircraft from other Nato members are working together "with national resources from the Baltic countries to investigate and take measures if needed," according to the defence alliance "If it turns out that the damage was deliberate then it's very difficult to find someone else other than Russia who could be behind it," former Swedish Lieutenant Colonel Joakim Paasikivi told Expressen are investigating the incident as potential gross sabotage as any potential crime could be targeted at Swedish interests while confirming that Swedish authorities have been on board the seized vessel since Sunday Please log in here to leave a comment Take note – story published 2 years and 1 month ago the company did not stop its operations in Latvia stating that it buys its raw materials from European countries. Groups of students and pre-school educational institutions visited the factory. However activists in the group "Tālava taurējs" republished information from a Russian news portal "Pobeda" received thanks from an organization called the "Battle Brotherhood" for the fact that since the beginning of the Ukrainian war the company has sent at least 15 tonnes of its products to Russian soldiers The candy manufacturer rents its premises from the municipality which said it had started an internal investigation to see if the Ventspils factory is indeed involved in supplying the troops involved in Russia's illegal war it raises serious questions about the presence of the Latvian subsidiary if the Russian parent company is doing so Saeima deputy Artūrs Butāns (National Alliance) called on the VDD to clarify matters "If a company located in the territory of Latvia helps the Russian army which is conducting military operations in Ukraine then such a company has no place in our national economy and its officials should be immediately brought to justice." Butāns also called for an assessment of whether the location of such a production plant in the territory of the Ventspils Freeport which is a strategically important state infrastructure As stated by the press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) pointed out that at present US and EU sanctions are not aimed at the Russian food industry "Latvia does not expect such investments that support Russia's war in Ukraine the necessary decisions will be made," said Eglīte the Ministry of Justice stated that "Pobeda" is not on the list of companies subject to sanctions A majority of MPs are required to elect the City Mayor Latvijai un Ventspilij won seven seats in the City Council but while Aivars Lembergs is in prison there are in fact six votes The other parties elected to the City Council - New Unity/Latvian Regional Alliance (JV/LRA) list the National Alliance (NA) and the New Conservative Party (JKP) -have the same number of votes altogether Latvijai un Ventspilij is silent about any further plans.  “We have already expressed in the run-up to the election that the first number on our list [Aivars Lembergs] is the candidate for president of the City Council we will see it on July 1,” Lembergs' deputy Jānis Vītoliņš said The first meeting of the newly elected council should take place on July 1 “I think that each of the six members of the anti-Lembergs coalition is aware of its historic mission in Ventspils,” said the City Council Member Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis (JV/LRA) with the exception of Latvijai un Ventspilij believe that Lembergs cannot run the city while arrested both because he was convicted of serious crimes at first instance and because it is not possible to run the council from prison The newly elected City Council deputies do not say a strict “no” to any other candidate of the party “If anyone other than the Lembergs family is directed we could consider this situation because we aim to work,” said JKP's Member Bruno Jurševics and added that the opposition can also nominate its own candidate Lembergs himself is not allowed to participate remotely in the work of Ventspils City Council The law does not provide him using a computer while imprisoned. Lembergs will also not be able to vote for himself as President of the City Council even if the party will choose to nominate him.  said at a press conference this week that “those who are from Riga will want to give advice” to the newly elected deputies while Latvijai un Ventspilij plan to talk to “local people.” The party is scheduled to hold a board meeting next week after which it will start negotiations on cooperation with the other parties elected in the City Council After 12 years of court hearings, the court of first instance delivered a judgment in the high-profile Aivars Lembergs trial on Monday February 22. The Riga Regional Court sentenced Lembergs to five years in prison confiscation of property and a fine of 20,000 euros after finding him guilty on a number of the charges relating to bribery and money-laundering that he faced while acquitting him on some other charges in the complex and long-lasting case Take note – story published 9 years and 6 months ago Some 500 liters of crude oil leaked from a disused oil pipeline of Ventspils Naftas Terminals (VNT) a company based in the northwestern Latvian port of Ventspils a representative of the Latvian State Environmental Service told BNS Tuesday a representative of VNT shareholder Ventspils Nafta on Tuesday and it ended up in the port's waters VNT has reported the oil leak to the authorities and cooperates with them to deal with the pollution The leaking of crude oil from the pipeline has been stopped by now Two water treatment ships have been involved in dealing with the pollution and the first containment booms have been placed in the water to prevent the pollution from spreading Dobulane indicated that the oil products had leaked into the River Venta but that they did not reach the sea Nikitina said that some 500 liters of oil products leaked into the environment during repairs on the pipeline and that employees of the Ventspils regional environmental authority were working at the scene The Freeport of Ventspils is going to collect the oil from the water with special ships The Ventspils regional environmental authority has launched an administrative procedure over the oil spill Employees of the State Fire and Rescue Service have also been involved in the rescue works VNT provides transit services -- receipt storage and loading of crude oil and petroleum products via pipelines Latvia's Ventspils Nafta holding company is the largest shareholder in VNT with 51% while a 49% stake in VNT belongs to Eurotank Holding Sarl a subsidiary of the international terminal company VTTI Ventspils Nafta is owned by Vitol Group's offshore holding company Euromin Holdings (Cyprus) Limited It owns 93.24% percent of shares in the company and thus majority voting rights VN and its subsidiaries operated with €21.22 million in profit in the first half of the year Following no fewer than three extraordinary sessions of Saeima in a single day to take ownership of the port fully into public hands Minister of Foreign Affiars Edgars Rinkēvičs broke the news on Twitter linking to a relase from the United States Department of the Treasury which confirmed that changes had been made to the sanctions regime announced December 9 against the port and three other bodies linked to businessman mayor and political fixer Aivars Lembergs (see attachment) Rinkēvičs took the opportunity to thank several of his Foreign Ministry colleagues for their role in getting the sanctions lifted "The decision was made after intensive discussions with the Latvian Embassy in the US the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other institutions as well as reviewing all actions taken and planned by Latvia to permanently prevent the influence of the specified individual in Ventspils Free Port and Ventspils Free Port Authority," a Foreign Ministry statement said Ventspils Free Port and companies operating in the port can continue to work smoothly," the ministry added "The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is issuing amended Global Magnitsky General License Number 1A​ "Authorizing Certain Activities Necessary to the Wind Down of Transactions Involving Ventspils Attistibas Agentura Biznesa Attistibas Asociacija, and Latvijas Tranzita Biznesa Asociacija." said the U.S Treasury in a further clarification of how the other three businesses on the sanctions list are expected to conclude their operations within 30 days Ventspils port is the second largest port in Latvia with the total economic impact in the Latvian GDP structure of around percent. 19.5 million tonnes of cargo were transhipped in Ventspils port in the first 11 months of 2019