The Baltic States faced the refusal of the Russian Federation to use local ports.
The Baltic states are watching with alarm as the Russian and Belarusian authorities refuse to use the services of local ports. As a result, the ports face nationalization, according to media reports,
The political attacks of the leaders of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia against the Kremlin have led to a change in the routes that Russian exports follow abroad. Instead of the Baltic ports, ships go West via Ust-Luga, Vysotsk and Vyborg.
Meanwhile, it is known that it was the geographical location and ports that pulled the three countries out of the status of the “back streets of Europe” a hundred years ago, and now they are rapidly losing their positions again.
So, for Latvia and Estonia, ports were the most important sector of the economy, which is now plunged into a deep crisis.
The volume of cargo transported through the Baltic ports is rapidly decreasing, and the cargo flow has decreased by a third over the year, Baltnews clarifies.
Due to the reduction of cargo in all positions, the budget is rapidly emptying.
The downward trend has already become irreversible, and in the near future, the Baltic ports may look like a trailer for an American film from the dystopian genre, writes the publication.
Analysts say that the number of container, bulk, mineral and liquid cargo, and wood is falling, and the changes are irreversible. Due to Russia’s refusal, the Baltic ports are emptying, the media reports.
Belarus behaves in a similar way. Minsk has decided to reorient cargo to Russia, and has already started to run trains with goods through Ust-Luga in 2021.
After the events with the blogger Roman Protasevich, Vilnius and Minsk could not agree, and the trend continues.
This situation concerns not only ordinary Balts, but also former Latvian officials. Not all of them support the policy of the authorities.
According to the ex-Minister of Transport of Latvia, transport expert Andries Matisse, urgent changes are needed in relations with the Russian Federation.
“We will not be able to develop transit if we maintain bad relations with our neighbors,” Baltnews quotes him as saying.
The expert believes that Latvia should take into account its own economic interests, and not send them hostage to relations with neighboring countries.
According to Matisse, Latvia has no other choice but to pursue a pragmatic course and build constructive relations with its neighbors, otherwise the transit sector will not be saved.
Earlier, Topnews wrote that the Belarusian authorities have opened criminal cases against the Mayor of Riga and the head of the Latvian Foreign Ministry.