RIGA, Feb 10 (LETA) - The Ministries of Culture and Smart Administration and Regional Development have been instructed to jointly draw up a bill enabling the state to acquire a stake in the concert hall Gors in Rezekne, Culture Minister Agnese Lace (Progressives) said after Tuesday's government sitting.

The two ministries have received the assignment from the Cabinet of Ministers.

During the drafting of this law, it will be specified to what extent the concert hall could be state-owned. The government expects the bill to be drafted by the end of February, Lace added.

In the information report to the government, the Culture Ministry analyzed several solutions for the management of the real estate at 4 Pils iela, Rezekne, and for ensuring the accessibility of professional art, stabilizing the operation of the concert hall Gors, and the state's involvement.

According to the scenario proposed by the Culture Ministry, the state would manage Gors in cooperation with the Rezekne local government. The state would acquire a 75 percent stake in Austrumlatvijas Koncertzale (East Latvia Concert Hall), the operator of the concert hall.

Although the Culture Ministry has been actively engaged in negotiations with the Rezekne local government since January, the local government repeatedly postponed the talks and decisions on the concert hall's future, and eventually rejected the previous solution proposed by the Culture Ministry regarding the involvement of the state in the concert hall's management in cooperation with the local authority. The Rezekne local government maintains that the most optimal solution would be cooperation between the municipality and the state based on delegation of functions or participation.

Taking into account the results of the discussions with the local authorities and the importance of the concert hall Gors for Latvia's cultural policy, national identity, and security, the Culture Ministry called on the government to draft and adopt a law on the state's involvement in the management of Gors.

The ownership and management of Gors are on the agenda of the Rezekne City Council meeting scheduled for Friday, February 13.

As reported, Rezekne City Council earlier said it was considering changes to Latgale embassy Gors management system. The local government emphasizes that it provides Gors with a subsidy from the Rezekne budget every year, expecting in return high quality and the concert hall's work aimed at increasing its revenues so that the subsidy can be reduced. A recent audit of the concert hall's functions, however, identified several problems in its operations.

In light of audit results and recommendations, the municipality, in cooperation with Rezekne Culture and Tourism Center, has begun working on possible changes "that would ensure sustainability of the institution and reduce its dependence on the municipality's subsidy".

One of the main tasks is to identify a management system that will allow Gors to become more efficient, transparent, and significantly increase revenues from its operations.

In January, Diana Zirnina was dismissed as the long-serving manager of Gors on the grounds of loss of trust.