OREANDA-NEWS. August 20, 2010. Riga's port will continue to rev up until the end of this year, Freeport of Riga Board’s Chairman Ainars Slesers said at a press conference with journalists.

In five or six years, the port might handle from 50 to 60 million tons of cargo, Mr. Slesers said.

According to Mr. Slesers, on the eve of the 810-year anniversary of the port, to be celebrated along with the Riga Festival on August 21, the port has been demonstrating the growth trend in freight traffic as compared with the same time period last year. In January the port transshipped fewer cargoes, 15% down from a year earlier, while the total seven-month volume show a slight gain, below 1%.

The port's official said that immediately following the restoration of independence, the port handled only five million tons of cargo, while last year it transshipped a total of 30 million tons, exceeding the figures of the port of Ventspils.

Mr. Slesers also added that the port of Riga had been left untouched by the crisis, as even during the worst period it still managed to work with a plus sign.