Estonia will close two more crossing points on the border with Russia at night as of 24 February 2026, initially for a period of three months, ERR reports. The Koidula and Luhamaa border crossing points will be closed to all traffic at night. Prime Minister Kristen Michal pointed to Russia’s “irrational behaviour” as the reason…
Estonian President Alar Karis and Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina back an idea to appoint a special EU envoy for talks with Russia on ending the war in Ukraine, Euronews reports. Speaking in interviews at the World Governments Summit in the UAE, both Karis and Silina said that any communication with Russia should be conducted…
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal urged Latvia to complete its part of the Rail Baltica railway by 2030 as agreed, ERR reported. Michal said that Estonia would “kindly pressure” Latvia with the help of EU funding. Earlier, Maris Dzelme, board chairman of Eiropas Dzelzcela Linijas (EDZL), which manages the construction project in Latvia, said that…
Lithuania’s Klaipeda State Seaport has begun a procurement process for contractors in the first phase of a project to develop the port’s southern area, The Baltic Times reports. The plan is to begin construction on the southern port gates in 2026. The project involves reclaiming around 100 hectares of new port territory and building 1.3…
Latvia’s industrial production output increased by 4.0% over a year in 2025, according to the Central Statistical Bureau’s (CSP) calendar-adjusted data at constant prices, LSM reports. Output in manufacturing rose by 5.5% on year, but fell by 3.0% in electricity and gas supply and by 15.4% in mining and quarrying. The country’s manufacturing turnover increased…
Estonia’s national conservative opposition party, Fatherland (Isamaa), remained the country’s most popular political party in January 2026, according to Norstat’s latest poll for the Institute for Societal Research (YI), ERR reports. Fatherland’s support stood at 26.4%, followed by the opposition Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) with 20.7% and the ruling Estonian Reform Party with 15.2%. The…
The US Congress has approved USD 200mn in security assistance to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania under the Baltic Security Initiative (BSI) in 2026, ERR reports. BSI supports the independent defence capabilities and interoperability of the Baltic States. In addition, the US has allocated defence aid to the Baltic States under the Department of State’s Foreign…
The number of foreign travellers visiting Lithuania totalled 1.5 million in 2025, which was 4.4% more than in 2024, according to the State Data Agency (VDA), BNS reports. Foreign tourists stayed an average of four nights in Lithuania, which was the main travel destination for 77% of all arrivals. According to state-run tourism promotion agency…
Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, arrived on a two-day working visit to Latvia on 2 February 2026, LSM reported. Ablakwa said that the immediate reason for his visit was to discuss the circumstances surrounding the death of an 18-year-old Ghanaian student in Riga in June 2025, GhanaWeb reported. Also, Ablakwa informed his Latvian counterpart,…