The Latvian agrarian political party, Latvian Farmers Union (LZS), has decided to ask the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) to decide on requesting the dismissal of Agriculture Minister Didzis Šmits (United List), Baltic News Network reports. ZZS will be meeting to discuss the request on 4 July 2023. LZS accused Šmits of “inaction” amid…
The Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees (LIZDA) will ask Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins to adopt urgent solutions to implement the agreement reached with the Ministry of Education and Science after a recent teacher strike, LETA reports. Earlier, LIZDA demanded that Education Minister Anda Caksa resign, which the minister refused to do, insisting…
The Latvian government has approved amendments to requirements on green public procurement, aiming to provide more opportunities for local producers, Baltic News Network reports. The updated criteria cover various categories such as food and catering, indoor and street lighting, construction, transport, and road construction and maintenance. The amendments will enable municipal and state institutions to…
Latvia’s industrial production output declined by 8.8% in May 2023 compared to a year earlier, according to calendar-adjusted data at constant prices, data from the Central Statistical Bureau showed, LSM reports. Output dropped by 7.7% in manufacturing, 7.9% in mining and quarrying, and 15.3% in electricity and gas supply. Compared to April 2023, industrial production…
The Latvian bakery, Kuldigas Maizes Ceptuve (Kuldiga Bakery), will continue operations under new ownership, LSM reports. Earlier, the company announced that the bakery would be forced to shut down. However, the bakery has now been acquired by Kuldiga-based entrepreneur Gatis Rozenfelds, who plans to resume production. Kuldiga Bakery began producing bread and pastries in the…
Food prices in Latvia are not falling as rapidly as they should, and people’s purchasing power is not increasing, Inguna Gulbe, head of the Agricultural Market Promotion Centre (LTVC), stated, LSM reports. She noted that prices for some food products, such as sunflower oil and butter, were falling, while other food products remained more expensive…
Costs associated with forest restoration, maintenance, and logging increased in Latvia in 2022, according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau, LSM reports. The average cost of forest restoration amounted to EUR 792-931 per hectare, which was up 2.5-12.4% from EUR 742-890 per hectare in 2021. The average cost of logging operations rose by 31.0%…
Latvia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the resumption of limited acceptance of visa applications from Russian citizens at Latvian diplomatic and consular missions abroad, LSM reports. The decision comes after the suspension of all visa applications from Russian citizens in response to the Wagner Group mutiny in Russia. Visa applications will now be accepted…
The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, Rihards Kols (National Alliance), urged member states of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to designate the Russian private military company, Wagner Group, as a terrorist organisation, LSM reports. Speaking at the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly meeting in Vancouver, Canada,…