Lithuania’s incoming centre-left government has revealed its draft programme for the next four years, LRT reports. The new coalition plans to focus on welfare, with more child benefits and better accessibility to health care and education. Also, the government may make changes to tax policy, moving towards progressive taxation. The new government plans to reverse…
British air carrier and tour operator Jet2 will offer direct flights from Birmingham, Manchester, and Edinburgh to the Estonian capital, Tallinn, in November and December 2025, ERR reports. The company will have two flights per week on the routes, expecting to bring altogether more than 4,000 holiday-makers to Tallinn. Meanwhile, Swiss International Air Lines will…
The draft programme of Lithuania’s incoming government calls China a “growing challenge” for foreign and security policy, BNS reports. The programme sees China’s strategic partnership with Russia and growing influence in Belarus as a threat. The new coalition pledges to work for a united approach towards China with Lithuania’s European and transatlantic partners. Also, the…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has approved the country’s new cabinet of ministers, BNS reports. He described the incoming centre-left government as more capable than the outgoing centre-right government of Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte. The Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) will hold the post of prime minister and will have nine ministers in the new government,…
The Foreign Ministry of Georgia summoned the Estonian and Lithuanian ambassadors and the Latvian chargé d’affaires to express its concern over plans to impose sanctions on senior Georgian government officials, Agenda.ge reports. The ministry said that the plans amounted to “interference in Georgia’s internal affairs.” Earlier, the Baltic foreign ministers announced sanctions against several Georgian…
Lithuania’s incoming prime minister, Gintautas Paluckas, said that he was not informed about the government’s decision to expel three Chinese diplomats, BNS reports. He said that the consequences of the move remained to be seen, noting that diplomatic relations with China were already “practically non-existent.” China has warned that the expulsions could lead to retaliatory…
Georgia’s new parliament is not entirely legitimate, Asta Skaisgiryte, chief foreign policy adviser to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, stated, LRT reports. If the parliament elects a new president, then the legitimacy of the president would be under question as well, she noted. Speaking in an interview with LNK, Skaisgiryte announced that Lithuania would offer refuge to…
The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has voted to strip MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis, leader of the far-right Dawn of Nemunas party, of his parliamentary immunity, BNS reports. The motion passed with 101 votes in favour and none against or abstaining. Dawn of Nemunas MPs boycotted the vote. The move allows the court to continue hearing a…
Baltic and Canadian foreign ministers met in the Latvian capital, Riga, on 2 December 2024, European Interest reported. The ministers discussed transatlantic relations as well as regional and global security and cooperation. Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze stressed that containing Russia and providing strong support to Ukraine were essential for the long-term interests of transatlantic…