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…
Latvia’s Prime Minister, Krisjanis Karins, and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met in Riga on 10 July 2023, The Baltic Times reports. The two prime ministers stressed the need for cooperation in strengthening the EU’s external borders and controlling external migration. Karins noted that Italy and Latvia were developing a similar understanding on migration and…
Latvia’s State Security Service (VDD) does not have information that would indicate that Russia’s private military company, Wagner Group, currently poses a direct threat to Latvia, LETA reports. VDD said that it obtained information on Wagner Group’s activities constantly and continued to assess the risks associated with the mercenary group to both national and regional…
The speaker of Latvia’s parliament, the Saeima, Edvards Smiltens, met with a delegation of parliamentarians from Japan in Riga, LETA reports. The delegation was led by Hirofumi Nakasone, chairman of the Latvia and Lithuania friendship groups of the upper house of Japan’s parliament, the House of Councillors (Sangiin). The parliamentarians discussed bilateral economic cooperation and…
Average consumer prices in Latvia rose by 7.9% in June 2023, compared to the same period of 2022, according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau, LSM reports. The annual change in prices was mainly influenced by the rise in the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages and of goods and services related to housing,…
The European Commission has granted EUR 6.8mn of financial support for Latvia’s agricultural sector, LSM reports. Latvia had requested EUR 11mn of EU aid. Agriculture Minister Didzis Smits noted that the support accorded to Latvia was proportionally the largest amount of aid granted. The support is intended for industries negatively impacted by the war in…
Latvia’s national air carrier, airBaltic, carried a total of 1.911 million passengers in the first half of 2023, which was up 51.7% from 1.312 million in the same period of 2022, LETA reports. The number of flights performed totalled 20,290, which was up 19.9% from 16,920 a year earlier. CEO Martin Gauss attributed the increase…
Latvia’s new president, former foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics, made his first official visit abroad to Estonia on 10 July 2023, ERR reports. He met with Estonian President Alar Karis, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, and other officials in Tallinn. They discussed bilateral cooperation, regional cooperation projects, continued support for Ukraine, and the NATO summit in Vilnius….
