Estonian formin expects Rail Baltica agreement to be signed

The signing process has not been concluded with one signature still pending — that from Lietuvos Geležinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways, or LG).

“I think we will overcome the disagreements. We should sign the agreement. There are some technical things and I can’t explain why it’s taking so much time,” Ligi said in Vilnius on Thursday.

LG is the only of the nine parties that has not yet signed the agreement. Nerijus Kaučikas, a spokesman for the Lithuanian Transport Ministry, said on Wednesday that he could not promise that the state railway company would sign the deal, but added that it had not been signed solely due to technical issues.

LG said last week that it did not approve of the agreements on Rail Baltica procurement procedures. LG Deputy CEO Albertas Šimenas then said that the state railway company itself wanted to participate in tenders, but being a shareholder of the Baltic joint venture, it would have no right to do so under the current terms and conditions.

Neither the Transport Ministry nor LG officials would say if Stasys Dailydka, the railway company’s CEO, will sign the agreement.

Representatives of the three Baltic countries agreed on the organization of Rail Baltica tenders, an issue that had caused many disputes, in Brussels in early September.