Estonia should strengthen cooperation with Taiwan and consider opening a Taiwanese representative office (Taipei Mission) in Tallinn, Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, stated, ERR reports. Speaking after a joint visit by the heads of the foreign affairs committees of Baltic parliaments to Taiwan, Mihkelson noted that…
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) announced his intention to end the current government coalition and form a new one, LSM reports. He said that New Unity’s current coalition partners, the National Alliance and the United List, had rejected his proposals for a ministerial reshuffle and revised policy priorities. Karins said that he would…
Latvia’s foreign trade turnover totalled EUR 21.39bn at current prices in the first half of 2023, which was down EUR 963.9mn (4.3%) from the corresponding period of 2022, according to provisional data from the Central Statistical Bureau, LSM reports. The total value of exports amounted to EUR 9.62bn (down 4.5%) and of imports to EUR…
The number of foreign tourists visiting Estonia totalled 1,110,431 in the second quarter of 2023, which was up 19% from the same period of 2022, according to data from the Bank of Estonia, ERR reports. Foreign tourists spent a total of EUR 375mn in Estonia, which was EUR 62mn more than a year earlier. Meanwhile,…
A severe storm that hit Lithuania on 6-7 August 2023 toppled over 50,000 trees in forests, the state forest management enterprise, Valstybiniu Misku Uredija (VMU), announced, BNS reports. Valdas Kaubre, director general of VMU, said that the estimated total area of damaged forest amounted to around 2,000 hectares. Most of the trees fell in the…
Estonia’s state-owned port operator, Port of Tallinn (Tallinna Sadam), generated sales revenue of EUR 57mn in the first half of 2023, which was almost unchanged from a year earlier, ERR reports. The port’s adjusted EBITDA fell by 12% from a year earlier. Net profit stood at EUR 7mn, which was down 42% over a year….
Latvia’s national air carrier, airBaltic, posted the highest ever revenue and profit in the company’s history in the first half of 2023, LSM reports. The company’s six-month revenue totalled EUR 291mn, which was up 52% from a year earlier. Net profit amounted to EUR 14.6mn, which was up sharply from a net loss of EUR…
The state budget control select committee of Estonia’s parliament, the Riigikogu, held an extraordinary session on 8 August 2023 to discuss a controversy over alleged “horse trading” by the Office of the President, ERR reports. Earlier, presidential adviser Toomas Sildam had an informal discussion with Merike Saks, secretary general of the Ministry of Finance, in…
Latvia’s Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity) has proposed a reshuffle of key ministerial posts in his three-party coalition government, LETA reports. Karins proposed that National Alliance MP Rihards Kols become foreign minister and that the United List take over the Ministry of Economy and New Unity the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development….