On the 21st of June, the US Ambassador to the Republic of Latvia Nancy Bikoff Pettit and the Embassy staff visited the port of Riga. The Ambassador met with the Freeport of Riga Authority (FPRA) Deputy CEO Martins Ziemanis and Heads of the FPRA structural units. FPRA says the visitors were introduced to the Riga port performance indicators, its development strategy and new projects. The Ambassador was interested in the development plans of the Riga Port and emphasized the great potential of the Riga City and the Riga port in the cruise tourism area. The Ambassador also confirmed the readiness of the US Embassy to cooperate actively in developing this segment.
In the framework of the visit the US Ambassador visited the Vessel Traffic Service Center (VTSC) of the Freeport of Riga and sailed in the port water area with the aim to learn more about the Freeport operation. During the boat trip the guests could appreciate the port development – newly built terminals and infrastructure on the territory of Krievu Island. The Ambassador was also informed about the progress of the Krievu Island project (Krievu Sala project).
During her visit to the VTSC the Ambassador met with the Freeport of Riga Harbor Master Arturs Brokovskis-Vaivods and was informed about the operation of the Harbor Master Service. Mr. Artis Ziders, Deputy Chief of the Port Police, briefed the guests on the port security issues and presented the Port Police functions and operational details.