The new US ambassador to Latvia, Melissa Argyros, is expected to assume her diplomatic post in Riga in February 2026, Baltic News Network reports. She will replace the current US ambassador, Christopher Robinson. Argyros is a California-based real estate investor, holding several senior positions in the family’s real estate company, Arnel & Affiliates, the Argyros…
A consortium led by US-based JPMorgan will advise on the Latvian state’s buyout of Swedish telecommunications group Telia’s shares in the Latvian telecommunications companies, Tet and Latvijas Mobilais Telefons (LMT), BNS reports. Under the agreement, the consortium, which besides JPMorgan includes A&O Shearman, Deloitte, Hardiman Telecommunications, TEGOS, and WALLESS, will advise Latvia’s state-owned energy group, Latvenergo,…
Russia continued to pose the most significant threat to Latvia’s national security in 2025, according to the State Security Service’s (VDD) new report, BNS reports. VDD pointed to Russia’s actions to damage infrastructure, aggressive intelligence activities, and psychological operations to influence public opinion in Latvia. VDD expects Russia to continue its “intensive, systematic, and aggressive…
Newly released documents connected to the convicted US human trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein, include numerous mentions related to the Baltic States. Several documents refer to travel arrangements to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, Estonian World reports. Many messages refer, often in sexualised context, to women that Epstein or his associates had met in the Baltic States. Latvia…
Latvian monetary financial institutions (MFIs), mainly banks, generated an aggregate profit of EUR 341.7mn in 2025, which was down 34.5% from EUR 521.4mn in 2024, according to the Bank of Latvia, LETA reports. MFIs had assets totalling EUR 31.687bn at the end of 2025, which was up 5.9% from EUR 29.913bn a year earlier. The…
Gross domestic expenditure on research and development (R&D) in relation to GDP in the Baltic States was highest in Estonia in 2024, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. R&D spending amounted to 1.99% of GDP in Estonia in 2024, which was up from 1.41% in 2014. Meanwhile, R&D expenditure stood at 1.04% (1.03%) of GDP…
Latvia’s national air carrier, airBaltic, intends to increase its presence in neighbouring Lithuania, according to the company’s new CEO, Erno Hildén, BNS reports. He said that the airline had plans for new destinations and more frequent flights, particularly to and from Vilnius. While acknowledging that airBaltic was facing significant financial challenges, Hildén vowed that his…
A member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) died while on duty near the Latvian capital, Riga, on 29 January 2026, LSM reported. Gunner Sebastian Halmagean was deployed in Latvia as part of a Canadian-led NATO brigade. He had served in the CAF for almost three years, and this was his first overseas deployment.
The defence ministers of the three Baltic States have signed a letter of intent on establishing a Baltic Military Mobility Area, LSM reports. The aim is to standardise border crossing procedures, coordinate the movement of military cargo, and ensure operational information exchange. Furthermore, the Baltic allies will work to align their military movement procedures with…
