The Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS) will hold a comprehensive national defence exercise, Namejs 2024, throughout Latvia from 3 September to 8 October 2024, LSM reports. The exercise will involve soldiers from all NBS units, including conscripts, reserve soldiers, and allied troops from several NATO countries. Around 11,000 Latvian and allied soldiers and Latvian National…
Representatives of the three Baltic States are visiting Ukraine to strengthen cooperation in the health care sector and to study the Ukrainian experience of full-scale war, Ukraine’s Ministry of Health announced. The visit was organised jointly with the WHO office in Ukraine. The Baltic representatives will learn about Ukraine’s preparation and response to Russia’s war…
Albanian President Bajram Begaj has embarked on a tour of the three Baltic States, Pamfleti reports. During his visit to the region, Begaj will meet with his Baltic counterparts, prime ministers, and speakers of parliaments. The talks will focus on bilateral relations, cooperation within NATO, and Albania’s EU integration. Begaj will also discuss the role…
Lithuania’s Vilnius Regional Court has postponed sentencing in the criminal case against the former owners of the now liquidated Snoras bank, Vladimir Antonov and Raimondas Baranauskas, until 5 November 2024, BNS reports. The Prosecutor General’s Office asked for both to be sentenced to 10.5 years in prison. The pretrial investigation lasted over 7 years, from…
Estonia’s new ambassador to Kazakhstan, Jaap Ora, has presented copies of his credentials to Kazakhstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Alibek Kuantyrov, Kazinform reports. Welcoming the ambassador to Astana, Kuantyrov noted with satisfaction the progressive development of Kazakh-Estonian relations in the political, economic, and cultural-humanitarian spheres. The parties also discussed interaction within international organisations.
Estonia may need to raise its defence spending to 5% of GDP to implement NATO’s new defence plans, Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur stated, ERR reports. He said that Estonia clearly needed to acquire more capabilities, including air defence systems and equipment to deal with chemical and biological weapons. The money needed would amount to EUR…
The number of Lithuanians travelling to Belarus has dropped by five times over two years, according to the State Border Guard Service (VSAT), BNS reports. In August 2024, Lithuanian citizens made 10,000 trips to Belarus, which was down from 33,000 a year earlier and 50,000 two years ago. Belarus enabled visa-free travel for Lithuanian citizens…
The Lithuanian Armed Forces (LGP) have received MP7 A2 submachine guns from German arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch, according to the Ministry of Defence, Army Recognition reports. The contract, signed in October 2023, is valued at EUR 1.56mn over a period of 72 months. The ministry selected the weapons for their tactical and technical features,…
Estonia’s new permanent representative to the EU is Kyllike Sillaste-Elling, ERR reports. Prior to her appointment, Sillaste-Elling served as deputy secretary general for political affairs at the Estonian Foreign Ministry. In 2017-2021, she was Estonia’s ambassador to NATO.