On 7 January, President Edgars Rinkēvičs met with Minister for Climate and Energy Kaspars Melnis at the Riga Castle. The parties discussed the gas explosion incident that occurred at the end of the year on Bauskas Street in Riga and the activities of AS “Gaso”, Latvia’s sole natural gas distribution system operator, in relation to the tightened regime of preventive natural gas systems inspections. During the meeting, the Minister for Climate and Energy provided information on the progress of draft laws within the ministry’s competence currently being advanced in the Cabinet of Ministers and in the Saeima.
The parties also discussed matters related to the development of wind farms, potential opportunities for nuclear energy development in Latvia, the ongoing work to improve the Energy Strategy, as well as trends in electricity prices.
Given that almost a year has passed since the Baltic States disconnected from the BRELL electricity network, the meeting also addressed up-to-date information on the operation of the electricity system and the main conclusions for further strengthening national energy security.
