RIGA, Sept 21 (LETA) - A reassessment of the results of the administrative-territorial reform is necessary and may also result in the division of regions, Minister of Smart Administration and Regional Development Inga Berzina (New Unity) told LETA in an interview.

She said that the year as minister had been very intense. In the field of regional development, amendments to the Law on Administrative Territories and Settlements have been drafted and submitted for adoption.

"In our opinion, it was very successful, because it could have been different, but Varaklani has been added to the Madona Region, the map has not changed, which was our goal. At the same time, we understand that in 2026 a reassessment is necessary, because there is room for some new municipalities, but not hastily," said Berzina.

For example, Babite and Marupe are currently very close to the criteria for individual municipalities. At the moment, it is a single municipality.

While the current criterion for a municipality in the surrounding regions of Riga is 15,000 inhabitants, Marupe already exceeds it and Babite has more than 14,000 inhabitants. The Minister admitted that these criteria are likely to be met in 2026. She added that this does not mean that the region will necessarily have to be divided.

The issue of administrative centers remains unresolved. Not all districts have administrative centers and this issue needs to be resolved, but it needs to be done carefully