RIGA, June 25 (LETA) - Riga should not compete with other Latvian cities, but rather with other regional capitals, said Edgars Tavars (United List), Minister of Smart Administration and Regional Development, today during a meeting on Thursday with the board of the Latvian Employers’ Confederation (LDDK).

As Mudrite Grundule, the minister’s advisor on strategic communications, told LETA, the purpose of the meeting was to strengthen cooperation between the state and the business community to promote business development in Riga and the regions, as well as to agree on systemic changes that can be advanced during this government’s term.

The minister outlined three priority areas of work: the implementation of secure digital solutions for elections, the improvement of the government’s ICT management and procurement systems, and the strengthening of cooperation with local governments.

He emphasized that the issues raised by the LDDK align with the government’s priorities. The minister announced that he would meet with Riga’s administration to discuss the city’s development and industrialization plan. "Riga must compete with Tallinn, Vilnius, Stockholm, and Helsinki, not with other Latvian cities. We have a lot of work to do to support business development both in Latvia’s capital and in the regions," said the minister.

The LDDK emphasized the need for incentive mechanisms at the local government level to promote business development. The organization also stressed the need to develop an industrialization plan for Riga and to formulate a targeted business development policy to strengthen the capital’s competitiveness.

The parties discussed policies on the use of land and natural resources, seeking a balance between economic development and nature conservation, as well as the priorities for the next planning period of European Union funds.

"We were interested in the minister’s priorities for the period leading up to the elections and his vision for the development of IT and the procurement system. We highlighted areas where systemic changes are needed, including incentive systems for local governments to promote business development, policies on the use of natural resources to strike a balance between economic development and nature conservation, as well as the link between the Riga metropolitan area and regional development," said LDDK President Andris Bite.