Russian President Vladimir Putin was wrong when he thought that the war in Ukraine would break NATO unity, US President Joe Biden said in a speech at Lithuania’s Vilnius University on 12 July 2023, LETA reports. “Putin thought that democratic leaders would be weak, but he thought wrong,” Biden stated. He assured that the US…
Estonia’s retail group, Tallinna Kaubamaja Grupp (TKM Grupp), posted unaudited consolidated sales revenue of EUR 460.5mn in the first half of 2023, which was up 11.8% from EUR 411.9mn in the same period of 2022, GlobeNewswire reports. Sales of the group’s supermarkets amounted to EUR 301.7mn (up 6.5%), department stores to EUR 51.7mn (up 6.7%), car…
The Estonian Business School (EBS) has obtained a planning permit for the construction of a new campus in central Tallinn, ERR reports. EBS will begin building the 44,000 m2 campus on Tallinn’s Ants Lauteri Street in the second half of 2023. The campus will include a 30-storey office tower, catering facilities, a sports centre, and…
Estonia does not need a permanent NATO brigade, Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur stated, ERR reports. He noted that Estonia already has more than 2,000 allied troops permanently stationed in the country. Estonian society would not be prepared for the construction of another large military training area in the country, he argued. Also, an additional deployment…
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, met with his Georgian counterpart, Ilia Darchiashvili, in Vilnius on 11 July 2023, BNS reports. The two ministers discussed the regional security situation and Georgia’s EU membership prospects. Landsbergis noted that Georgia (Sakartvelo) was a NATO partner resisting Russia’s imperialist ambitions and hybrid threats. He urged Georgia to make full…
Organisers of a campaign in Lithuania to call ordinary people in Russia and discuss the war in Ukraine has been suspended, following a public outcry, LRT reports. Locals organised to cover posters of the campaign in Vilnius. Tomas Balzekas, head of Lithuania’s 15min news website and news agency BNS, said that the “Call Russia” campaign…
Latvia’s new president, Edgars Rinkevics, has appointed his chief policy advisers and aides, LSM reports. Gunda Reire, parliamentary secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will become head of the presidential chancellery. The president’s chief legal adviser is Kristine Licis, who has served as Latvia’s representative in international institutions. Edvins Severs will continue as the…
Latvia’s foreign trade turnover totalled EUR 17.93bn in the first five months of 2023, which was down EUR 718.4mn (3.9%) from the same period of 2022, according to provisional data from the Central Statistical Bureau, LSM reports. Exports totalled EUR 8.12bn, which was down EUR 281.2mn (3.3%) over a year. Imports totalled EUR 9.81bn, which…
Lithuania’s state-owned electricity supplier, Ignitis, will invest up to EUR 115mn in the development of an electric vehicle (EV) charging network in the Baltic States, GlobeNewswire reports. The investment will go towards acquiring EV charging stations. Ignitis plans to install up to 3,000 fast EV charging stations in the Baltic region by the end of…
