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Former Latvian PM to become new head of Latvijas Gaze gas utility

Xinhua, August 15, 2015 Adjust font size:

Latvian ex-premier Aigars Kalvitis has been chosen as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of Latvijas Gaze natural gas utility, the company's management announced Friday.

Juris Savickis, vice-chairman of the gas company's board, told journalists after a board meeting on Friday that former Prime Minister Kalvitis had emerged as the winning candidate in a competition of 30 applicants running for the position.

As the new Latvijas Gaze, Kalvitis is expected to ensure higher gas supplies and a lower gas price for Latvian consumers, as well as to see to it that the company's position does suffer from the planned liberalization of the Latvian gas market, Savickis said. He added that this would require working with the Latvian government, lawmakers and the regulator, taking into consideration also the rights and interests of Latvijas Gaze shareholders.

Kalvitis told the press he had always been interested in energy business and had already had to tackle energy-related issues during his premiership which is why he decided to accept the challenge and run for the position of Latvijas Gaze.

"Energy is not a strange sphere to me and I have always found it interesting, so as soon as I learned about this job opportunity I entered the competition," the former Latvian prime minister said.

Kalvitis served as Latvian prime minister from 2004 to 2007.

Latvijas Gaze organized a tender to pick a new CEO after Adrians Davis resigned as the company's long-standing head earlier this summer.

Latvijas Gaze, engaged in purchasing, transportation, storage and distribution of natural gas, belongs to Germany's E.ON Ruhrgas International (47.2 percent), Russia's Gazprom (34 percent) and Itera Latvija (16 percent). Latvijas Gaze is listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange h ere. Enditem