Latvia’s Riga International Airport (RIX) served over 3 million passengers in the first half of 2023, which was nearly 40% more than in the same period of 2022, LSM reports. Transit passengers accounted for 21% of the total, which was up from 17% a year earlier. The average load factor of passenger aircraft stood at…
While Latvia’s economy is generally resilient and the labour market remains strong with low unemployment, the economy will still face significant fragility in 2023, Martins Kazaks, president of the Bank of Latvia, warned, LSM reports. Speaking in an interview on LTV, Kazaks emphasised the need for economic transformation in order to avoid falling behind other…
Latvia’s opposition Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) is planning to request the dismissal of Agriculture Minister Didzis Šmits, Baltic News Network reports. ZZS press secretary Dace Karklina said that the party supported the position of the Latvian Farmers Union (LZS) that the minister’s inaction and failure to set limits had resulted in uncontrollable increases…
Latvia’s President, Egils Levits, paid his last foreign visit to Lithuania, meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, on 5 July 2023, LSM reports. Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics will take office as Latvia’s new president on 8 July 2023. Rinkevics will make his first official visit abroad as president to Estonia on 10 July 2023, ERR…
Estonian debt collection and credit management company Aktiva Finance Group will acquire Swedish credit management company Intrum Group’s business in the Baltic States for EUR 30mn, TVNET reports. Under the deal, Aktiva Finance Group will acquire 100% of shares in Intrum Group’s subsidiaries in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The transaction is expected to be closed…
Housing prices in the Baltic States rose the fastest in Lithuania in the first quarter of 2023, according to Eurostat data, BNS reports. Compared to a year earlier, housing prices rose by 13.1% in Lithuania, which was the second-highest increase in the EU. Housing prices in Estonia rose by 9.2% and in Latvia by 6%…
Latvia’s Riga City Council has appointed Vilnis Kirsis (New Unity) as acting mayor, following the resignation of mayor Martins Stakis, The Baltic Times reports. Meanwhile, city councillor Miroslavs Kodis said that the political group of Movement For and Progressives was considering proposing deputy mayor Linda Ozola of the Code for Riga party as acting mayor…
Latvia’s Riga City Council will hold an extraordinary meeting on 5 July 2023, following the resignation of mayor Martins Stakis, LETA reports. The meeting plans to appoint deputy mayor Vilnis Kirsis (New Unity) as the acting mayor of Riga. Deputy mayor Linda Ozola (Code for Riga) supported the appointment of Kirsis as acting mayor until…
Latvia’s Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins, leader of the New Unity party, urged his coalition partners to prioritise the national interest and set aside personal ambitions and concerns about their posts, LETA reports. Karins expressed his disappointment that only opposition parties, namely the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) and the Progressives, have attended talks initiated…
