Every tenth resident of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, is a foreign national, according to the city’s mayor, Valdas Benkunskas, ELTA reports. Vilnius has altogether around 76,000 foreign residents, of whom 61,000 (80%) are non-EU citizens, BNS reported. Around 40,000 of the foreigners, mostly from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine, have temporary residence permits. The mayor warned…
The Lithuanian government is pressing ahead with legislative proposals that would impose political control over the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), LRT reports. Earlier, opposition MPs as well as representatives of the Lithuanian Association of Professional Journalists (ZPA) and LRT staff withdrew in protest from a parliamentary working group set up…
The Latvian government has again suggested that all three Baltic States invest in Latvia’s national airline, airBaltic, ERR reports. Prime Minister Evika Silina argued that the Baltic countries should work together to “coordinate aviation” in the region. She intends to discuss the issue with her Estonian and Lithuanian counterparts. Earlier, the Estonian government rejected Latvia’s…
Estonia’s central bank, the Bank of Estonia, has recommended that residents keep about a week’s worth of cash at home, ERR reports. Rainer Olt, head of payment and settlement systems at the Bank of Estonia, stressed that cash reserves were necessary in case of disruptions to electronic payment systems. Around 8% of Estonians prefer to…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has proposed a draft law that would allow the government to set maximum consumer prices on petrol and diesel fuel by decree, ELTA reports. Under the law, the Energy Ministry would calculate and proclaim the daily fuel price cap under a specific formula. Retailers failing to comply with the price cap…
Lithuania’s GDP will grow by 3.1% under a baseline scenario in 2026, according to the Bank of Lithuania’s latest forecast, ELTA reports. GDP growth will reach 2.0% in 2027 and 2.9% in 2028, the central bank projects. Under an adverse scenario, however, the country’s GDP growth will stand at 3.1% in 2026, at mere 1.6%…
Lithuania’s three international airports will offer flights to 100 destinations in 54 countries in summer 2026, state-owned airport operator Lietuvos Oro Uostai (LTOU) announced, The Baltic Times reports. LTOU’s airports will have more flights to Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Helsinki, and Warsaw. Vilnius International Airport will offer new direct routes to Gdansk in Poland and Podgorica in…
Political leaders in the Baltic States criticised US President Donald Trump’s recent remarks that he could pull the US out of NATO. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that such suggestions were “harmful even if not acted upon,” ERR reported. He insisted that NATO benefited both Europe and the US, warning that all allies would…
The Lithuanian government will consider cutting the excise duty on diesel fuel temporarily amid the sudden surge in global oil prices, BNS reports. Under the Finance Ministry’s proposed legislative amendments, the fixed portion of the excise duty rate for standard diesel and marked agricultural diesel would be reduced until 15 June 2026. The move would…