More than a third of Latvian residents believe that 2024 will be financially better for them than 2023, according to a Norstat poll for Luminor Bank, Baltic News Network reports. The survey showed that 38% of residents expect this year to be financially better than last year. Young people aged 18-29 years are particularly optimistic,…
Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins asserts that even if Ukraine regains control of all conquered territories, Russia will still remain a military threat to Europe, LETA reports. He argued that Russia’s government was rooted in imperialist ambitions and saw external enemies as a means to distract from domestic issues. Karins highlighted the changing security landscape…
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina’s New Year message emphasised the significance of education for the nation’s future prosperity, LSM reported. Speaking from Riga Technical University, she underscored the importance of science and learning to compete globally. Silina called for investing in children, highlighting the role of education in shaping their future. She paid tribute to…
Latvia has extended altogether EUR 595mn of aid to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression, which is equal to 0.85% of Latvia’s GDP, Ukrinform reports. Bilateral military assistance to Ukraine amounts to EUR 370mn. Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins noted that Latvian support included macro-financial, humanitarian, and development aid. Also, Latvia has provided…
In his New Year’s message, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics reflected on the anticipation of the “moment before” the new year, filled with aspirations for change and new goals, LSM reported. Acknowledging that past resolutions may not have been fully realised, the President encouraged carrying over hopes into the new year, turning them into concrete goals…
Latvian businesses urge the government to ease the rules on the entry of foreign labour into the country, LSM reports. Speaking at a conference on human capital development in the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, business representatives and market analysts noted that Latvia’s human resources were exhausted. They called for improving labour availability through relaxed rules…
Latvia’s Office of the Prosecutor General has fined the local LPG supplier, Latvijas Propana Gaze (LPG), and its co-owner, Anatolijs Cernihs, for attempted violation of international sanctions, LETA reports. The prosecutor banned LPG from making any transactions with Belarusian companies for one year. The sanctions violation involved iron and steel products. The prosecutor confiscated EUR…
The Latvian government has approved a draft law on ratifying the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on violence against women and domestic violence, LSM reports. An accompanying declaration states that Latvia will apply the convention in line with the Constitution, “in particular with regard to the protection of human rights, equality between women and men,…
The average level of consumer prices in Latvia rose by 3.3% in September 2023, compared to the same period of 2022, according to the Central Statistical Bureau’s data, LSM reports. The rise in food prices accounted for 1.5 percentage points, alcohol and tobacco for 0.6 percentage points, and health care for 0.6 percentage points of…
