The travels of top state officials, including the President and Prime Minister, are subject to special security requirements and protocol, which also requires the use of VIP lounges at airports, according to Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, speaking on the Latvian Radio programme “Krustpunktā”.
Rinkēvičs did not comment on Siliņa’s case directly, indicating that the prime minister should do it herself, but did attempt to provide justifications for the use of those parts of the airport most famous for comfy seats, unlimited snacks and complimentary drinks – for a premium price.
After former State Chancellery Director Jānis Citskovskis criticized Prime Minister Evika Siliņa (New Unity) for using the VIP lounge – which can come with added costs – during a trip, the question of the justification for such spending has become a topic for debate.
Such airport VIP lounges are used by Presidents and Prime Ministers not merely for their additional creature comforts but because they are required by security protocols, he pointed out.
“The trips of senior officials are a bit different from ordinary trips, because we are accompanied by security guards with weapons and walkie-talkies. You can’t just go through the airport for these reasons. When traveling with senior officials of state, especially if you don’t fly direct flights or there are some short [flights], security guards come with certain, how to say, luggage, which you will hardly get through ordinary air control,” said Rinkēvičs.
The president admitted that he himself has used the VIP lounge, together with his security team. “All presidents and prime ministers have used it,” the president added, though he admitted that it generates considerable additional costs.
“These are quite high costs. They are not business class, as many often say. We evaluate it very carefully. (..) The costs are very diverse. There are places where, say, the host country or transit country provides it free of charge. Then reciprocity comes into play in Latvia – within the framework of reciprocity, the host country pays for this special lounge service. There are also countries where, of course, you have to pay for it,” explained Rinkēvičs.
The President called for such things to be better explained to the public.
“In this case, it really needs to be explained that perhaps what people sometimes think is extra is often actually connected to things that are used specifically for security and protocol purposes. We cannot deny that it often costs more than other services – that’s just the way it is,” Rinkēvičs said.
The subject even found its way into the business taking place in the Saeima on Thursday, with opposition deputies from the United List tabling a series of questions to the government – based on an LSM story earlier this week – demanding an explanation about whether Prime Minister Evika Siliņa’s use of a VIP lounge at Amsterdam airport had cost 4,000 euros.
Select text and press Ctrl+Enter to send a suggested correction to the editor
Select text and press Report a mistake to send a suggested correction to the editor
Tell us about a mistake