RIGA — While Latvia struggles to figure out how to implement the 400 million lats (€564 million) deficit reduction required by international lenders that bailed the country out in 2008, privatization has been kept of the table so far.

Things have changed. After announcing last week that his government would not implement large-scale public sector wage cuts, Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis veered away from previous statements that privatization was off the table and indicated that [private_supervisor]Latvia is open to selling its shares of national telecom company Lattelecom and mobile phone operator LMT. The government controls 51 percent of both companies.

Previously the prime minister said that the government was rejecting “any speculation that appeared in the media” about privatizing state assets, and has criticized privatization proposals in the past.

However, last week he indicated that the government was seeking to attract foreign investment in specific private-sector projects and in an interview with the television program “900 Seconds” on Wednesday he became more specific, indicating that selling Lattelecom and LMT remain options.

“In order to increase the flow of direct foreign investment into Latvia, it is necessary for the state to identify and offer to the potential investors significant projects supported by the government. Therefore, the cooperation of various public authorities plays a decisive role in the development of the Latvian investment project portfolio,” Dombrovskis said in a statement to the press last week.

When talking to “900 Seconds” Dombrovskis said depending on market conditions the sale of Lattelecom and LMT is possible.

“Obviously, we are not excluding individual enterprises’ privatization, but it is important to have a favorable market situation. They could, for example, be shares in Lattelecom, which previously in 2007 the government missed a good offer. As well as they could also LMT shares,” Dombrovskis said.

The prime minister was quick to point out that this did not apply to other state-run companies, such as Latvijas Pasts.

“During the time Ainārs Šlesers was the minister of transport, there was an attempt to privatize Latvijas Pasts … these kind of privatizations schemes and deals the previous government considered, we are not going to pursue,” Dombrovskis told “900 Seconds.” [/private_supervisor] [private_subscription 1 month]Latvia is open to selling its shares of national telecom company Lattelecom and mobile phone operator LMT. The government controls 51 percent of both companies.

Previously the prime minister said that the government was rejecting “any speculation that appeared in the media” about privatizing state assets, and has criticized privatization proposals in the past.

However, last week he indicated that the government was seeking to attract foreign investment in specific private-sector projects and in an interview with the television program “900 Seconds” on Wednesday he became more specific, indicating that selling Lattelecom and LMT remain options.

“In order to increase the flow of direct foreign investment into Latvia, it is necessary for the state to identify and offer to the potential investors significant projects supported by the government. Therefore, the cooperation of various public authorities plays a decisive role in the development of the Latvian investment project portfolio,” Dombrovskis said in a statement to the press last week.

When talking to “900 Seconds” Dombrovskis said depending on market conditions the sale of Lattelecom and LMT is possible.

“Obviously, we are not excluding individual enterprises’ privatization, but it is important to have a favorable market situation. They could, for example, be shares in Lattelecom, which previously in 2007 the government missed a good offer. As well as they could also LMT shares,” Dombrovskis said.

The prime minister was quick to point out that this did not apply to other state-run companies, such as Latvijas Pasts.

“During the time Ainārs Šlesers was the minister of transport, there was an attempt to privatize Latvijas Pasts … these kind of privatizations schemes and deals the previous government considered, we are not going to pursue,” Dombrovskis told “900 Seconds.” [/private_subscription 1 month] [private_subscription 4 months]Latvia is open to selling its shares of national telecom company Lattelecom and mobile phone operator LMT. The government controls 51 percent of both companies.

Previously the prime minister said that the government was rejecting “any speculation that appeared in the media” about privatizing state assets, and has criticized privatization proposals in the past.

However, last week he indicated that the government was seeking to attract foreign investment in specific private-sector projects and in an interview with the television program “900 Seconds” on Wednesday he became more specific, indicating that selling Lattelecom and LMT remain options.

“In order to increase the flow of direct foreign investment into Latvia, it is necessary for the state to identify and offer to the potential investors significant projects supported by the government. Therefore, the cooperation of various public authorities plays a decisive role in the development of the Latvian investment project portfolio,” Dombrovskis said in a statement to the press last week.

When talking to “900 Seconds” Dombrovskis said depending on market conditions the sale of Lattelecom and LMT is possible.

“Obviously, we are not excluding individual enterprises’ privatization, but it is important to have a favorable market situation. They could, for example, be shares in Lattelecom, which previously in 2007 the government missed a good offer. As well as they could also LMT shares,” Dombrovskis said.

The prime minister was quick to point out that this did not apply to other state-run companies, such as Latvijas Pasts.

“During the time Ainārs Šlesers was the minister of transport, there was an attempt to privatize Latvijas Pasts … these kind of privatizations schemes and deals the previous government considered, we are not going to pursue,” Dombrovskis told “900 Seconds.” [/private_subscription 4 months] [private_subscription 1 year]Latvia is open to selling its shares of national telecom company Lattelecom and mobile phone operator LMT. The government controls 51 percent of both companies.

Previously the prime minister said that the government was rejecting “any speculation that appeared in the media” about privatizing state assets, and has criticized privatization proposals in the past.

However, last week he indicated that the government was seeking to attract foreign investment in specific private-sector projects and in an interview with the television program “900 Seconds” on Wednesday he became more specific, indicating that selling Lattelecom and LMT remain options.

“In order to increase the flow of direct foreign investment into Latvia, it is necessary for the state to identify and offer to the potential investors significant projects supported by the government. Therefore, the cooperation of various public authorities plays a decisive role in the development of the Latvian investment project portfolio,” Dombrovskis said in a statement to the press last week.

When talking to “900 Seconds” Dombrovskis said depending on market conditions the sale of Lattelecom and LMT is possible.

“Obviously, we are not excluding individual enterprises’ privatization, but it is important to have a favorable market situation. They could, for example, be shares in Lattelecom, which previously in 2007 the government missed a good offer. As well as they could also LMT shares,” Dombrovskis said.

The prime minister was quick to point out that this did not apply to other state-run companies, such as Latvijas Pasts.

“During the time Ainārs Šlesers was the minister of transport, there was an attempt to privatize Latvijas Pasts … these kind of privatizations schemes and deals the previous government considered, we are not going to pursue,” Dombrovskis told “900 Seconds.” [/private_subscription 1 year]

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