Latvia’s Minister of Interior, Maris Kucinskis, has added three owners of the Ventspils-based confectionery producer, Pobeda Confectionery, to the list of foreigners banned from entering the country due to national security concerns, Baltic News Network reports. In March 2023, Latvia’s State Security Service (VDD) found that Russian confectionery producer Pobeda, which has the same owners…
The Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) will provide EUR 73.38mn of support from EU structural funds for small and medium-sized enterprises, LSM reports. LIAA expects the programme to support a total of 1,500 innovative businesses. The Ministry of Economy said that the support programme would help businesses developing high-value-added products in the medium-high…
Latvia donates around 70% of cars seized from drunk drivers to Ukraine, the State Revenue Service (VID) announced, LSM reports. The government has sent a total of 151 confiscated vehicles to Ukraine since March 2023. The local charity organisation, Agendum, provides for the delivery of most of the cars to Ukrainian government institutions.
Latvia’s Riga International Airport (RIX) has opened its first helicopter landing area, LSM reports. RIX invested EUR 3.2mn in the heliport, with most of the financing coming from EU funds. The new heliport will allow helicopter traffic in parallel with other air traffic. Also, the heliport will help improve state and civil protection and disaster…
Latvia’s electricity transmission system operator, Augstsprieguma Tikls (AST), plans to invest EUR 509.8mn in the transmission network in 2024-2033, LSM reports. EU support will cover EUR 135.8mn of the total sum. AST will invest in the infrastructure and management technologies of the electricity transmission network to prepare for the synchronisation of the Latvian power grid…
Latvia’s estimated population totalled 1.883 million people in the beginning of June 2023, according to preliminary data from the Central Statistical Bureau, LSM reports. The number of live births totalled 5,770 in the first five months of 2023, which was 1,022 (15%) less than in the same period of 2022. Altogether 2,966 boys (down 504)…
Parties in Estonia’s ruling coalition government enjoyed the support of 44.4% of voters in June-July 2023, according to a new Norstat poll for the Institute of Societal Studies (YI), ERR reports. The survey showed that the Estonian Reform Party of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas had the support of 28% of voters, while the Social Democratic…
Canada’s Foreign Minister, Mélanie Joly, has appointed Laird Hindle as the country’s first ever ambassador to Estonia, ERR reports. Prior to his appointment, Hindle was Global Affairs Canada’s Deputy Director for Southern Africa. Joly said that the appointment would advance Canada’s strategic diplomatic presence in the Baltic States. She cited Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and…
The number of live births recorded in Estonia totalled 915 in June 2023, which was down 11% from 1,031 in the corresponding month of 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Interior, ERR reports. Altogether 483 boys and 432 girls were born in June 2023. Deaths totalled 1,292, which was down 7.7% from 1,392…