Latvia’s foreign trade turnover totalled EUR 10.85bn at current prices in the first quarter of 2026, which was up EUR 113.8mn (1.1%) from the corresponding period of 2025, according to provisional data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. The total value of exports amounted to EUR 4.97bn (down 1.7%) and of imports to…
The Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, has passed amendments banning citizens of hostile third countries from making donations to Estonian political parties, ERR reports. Earlier, Estonia precluded non-EU nationals from voting in local elections. The Riigikogu expanded also the supervisory powers of the Political Party Funding Surveillance Committee (ERJK), allowing the body to request documents and…
The number of unemployed people in Lithuania totalled 146,700 at the end of April 2026, which was 8,400 fewer than a month earlier, according to the Lithuanian Employment Service (UzT), ELTA reports. The country’s unemployment rate stood at 8.1%, which was down from 8.5% a month earlier. Unemployment declined in all municipalities for the second…
Latvia’s left-of-centre party, the Progressives, will not leave the country’s three-party coalition government for now, Andris Suvajevs, leader of the party’s parliamentary group, announced, LETA reports. However, he insisted that Prime Minister Evika Silina, head of the ruling New Unity party, was unable to lead the government. The Progressives will invite Silina for talks. Meanwhile,…
The Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (RKIK) has signed an agreement with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) to buy three more Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers from South Korea’s Hanwha Aerospace, Yonhap reports. In December 2025, RKIK signed a EUR 290mn deal with Hanwha Aerospace for six launchers, rockets, and training support, The Korea Times…
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda were by far the most visible Baltic political leaders in Western media in 2025, according to a survey by Estonia’s Government Office, The Baltic Sentinel reports. The survey looked at mentions of Baltic presidents, prime ministers, foreign ministers, and defence ministers in US, British, German,…
Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds has stepped down after Prime Minister Evika Silina demanded that he resign, LSM reports. Silina announced that she had lost trust in the minister due to his mishandling of recent incursions of Ukrainian drones and the broader situation in the defence sector, LETA reported. Silina said that her adviser, Colonel…
The municipal government of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, plans to expand the city’s public transport network by 30% by 2030, LRT reports. The city intends to add 7 new routes, increase frequency on 44 routes, and adjust another 46 routes. However, the current bus and trolleybus network is nearing its physical limit, and the city…
Latvia has received the fourth or penultimate payment of EUR 371.2mn from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, LSM reports. The European Commission approved the successful implementation of 41 specific reforms and investments set out in Latvia’s national recovery plan. Latvia has already received almost EUR 1.5bn (75%) of the total EUR 1.97bn recovery funds…
