Baltic: Baltic Sea level nearly lowest on record
The water level in the Baltic Sea has fallen to one of the lowest levels…
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Welcome to Via Baltica, your “information superhighway” for news from the three Baltic tigers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania! Our founder and editor-in-chief is Kerkko Paananen, senior news analyst with more than two decades of professional expertise in covering and reporting on current affairs in the Baltic States. We aim to do one thing well:…
Baltic: Baltic Sea level nearly lowest on record
The water level in the Baltic Sea has fallen to one of the lowest levels in recorded history, ELTA reports. On the Latvian coast, the sea level has dropped to around 65 cm below zero level, according to the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Centre (LVGMC). In Liepaja and Ventspils, the sea level is close…
Lithuania: China signals readiness for dialogue
China remains open to dialogue with Lithuania, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated, Reuters reported. China hopes that Lithuania will “translate its willingness to improve bilateral relations into concrete action and promptly rectify its error,” he said. Earlier, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene stated that the previous government had made a “major mistake” in…
Latvia: Two mayors denied security clearance
All but two Latvian mayors have been granted access to state secrets as required by law, LETA reports. The State Security Service (VDD) has refused security clearances to Aleksandrs Bartasevics, chairman of the Rezekne city council, and Gatis Truksnis, former mayor of Jurmala. VDD is still reviewing the security clearances of five deputy chairs of…
Estonia: Tallinn city council passes 2026 budget
Estonian capital Tallinn’s city council has approved the city budget for 2026, ERR reports. Total revenues are planned at EUR 1.2bn, including EUR 781.2mn from personal income tax, EUR 188.3mn in state and other grants, EUR 112.4mn from the sale of goods and services, EUR 36.4mn from land tax, and EUR 9.5mn from external funding….
Baltic: Epstein investigations opened in Latvia, Lithuania
Authorities in Latvia and Lithuania have opened investigations into information in documents related to the convicted US sex trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein. The documents contain hundreds of references to Latvia and Lithuania, including indications that Epstein’s associates had recruited young women and children for sexual exploitation through local modelling agencies, LETA and LRT reported. Latvia’s State…
Lithuania: Officials signalling thaw with Belarus
Lithuanian officials have been making public statements recently suggesting a possible rapprochement in relations with neighbouring Belarus, only to retract their remarks afterwards, LRT reports. Observers say that the comments may be an attempt to test whether Lithuanian public opinion on Belarus is changing. Officials have suggested opening talks with Belarus and easing sanctions imposed…
Latvia: Russians, Belarusians sacked from critical infrastructure jobs
State-owned and municipal companies in Latvia involved in building or maintaining critical infrastructure have begun dismissing Russian and Belarusian citizens, LETA reports. Under amendments to the law on national security, Russian and Belarusian citizens may not be employed in jobs with access to critical infrastructure. Latvian capital Riga’s municipal water utility, Rigas Udens, has terminated…
Estonia: No drugs found on stopped container ship
Estonian authorities have released a Bahamian-flagged container ship stopped earlier on suspicion of drug smuggling, ERR reports. The Estonian Tax and Customs Board (EMTA) found no narcotics on board the vessel, Baltic Spirit, which was en route from Puerto Bolívar in Ecuador to Saint Petersburg in Russia. Estonian authorities boarded and detained the ship based…
Lithuania: PM pans opening of Taiwanese Representative Office
Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene criticised the previous government’s decision to allow Taiwan to open a de facto embassy in Vilnius, BNS reports. She said that Lithuania “jumped in front of the train and lost” when it allowed Taiwan to open the representative office without coordinating the move with the EU and the US. Ruginiene…