VILNIUS, November 20. /TASS/. American military expert Colin Smith believes that Latvia should dismantle Russian-standard gauge railway tracks in the eastern part of the country for the sake of "military security," according to the website of the Latvian State Television and Radio station LSM.

Smith suggested that Riga dismantle the rails with a Russian standard gauge of 1,520 mm on a 40-kilometer stretch east of the city of Daugavpils. He claims that this step will contribute to "strengthening the country's security."

"For economic integration, a European gauge railway opens up many more opportunities for transporting goods between the economies of the three Baltic countries than maritime transport. Yes, shipping remains the cheapest way of delivery, but the railway is definitely more necessary from a military point of view," the expert said. In his opinion, Riga needs to switch to the European rail width of 1,435 mm and use the existing Russian-format highways only in the western and southern parts of the country.

Until 2022, there were three railway border crossings between Russia and Latvia: Purvmala - Vecumi, Skangali - Karsava, and Posin - Zilupe. There is currently no regular service.