Estonia’s Ministry of Justice plans to submit a draft bill to expedite and make the handling of criminal cases more cost-effective, ERR reports. The proposed amendments aim to reduce delays in criminal proceedings by giving judges more control, such as preventing changes in defence attorneys to delay cases, separating civil claims from criminal cases, and…
Lithuania’s ministries of defence and finance are developing a mobile application to enable public donations for national defence, aiming for a summer rollout, BNS reports. Finance Minister Gintare Skaiste said that the app would allow for both periodic and one-off payments, similar to NGOs helping Ukraine. Earlier, the government rejected a proposal on voluntary donations…
Latvia’s Ministry of Defence will send over 2,500 combat drones of various types and capabilities to Ukraine, LSM reports. The drones, worth EUR 4mn, were manufactured by seven Latvian companies. The delivery is part of the international drone coalition formed to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine (ZSU). Latvia’s Ministry of Defence has allocated EUR…
Estonia’s incoming prime minister, Kristen Michal, said that the Estonian Reform Party would not propose reducing or repealing the tax-free income threshold during upcoming talks on forming a new coalition, ERR reports. Earlier, outgoing prime minister Kaja Kallas said that Reform had suggested lowering the basic income tax exemption, but that the party’s coalition partners…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow undermines confidence in Hungary’s EU presidency, BNS reports. Nauseda said that Orban’s “unilateral decision” to visit Moscow does not represent the EU position. “If you truly seek peace, you do not shake hands with a bloody…
Latvia’s Riga City Council may revise its property tax policy to address the issue of abandoned and empty shopfronts in the Old Town, LSM reports. Also, the city council has invested EUR 1.5mn in promoting Riga as a tourist destination and will launch a major redevelopment project for two streets in the Old Town to…
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, visited Estonia, where he met with Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, ERR reports. The discussions focused on economic and business cooperation, regional security, and human rights. Also, the foreign ministries of the two countries signed a memorandum to facilitate regular consultations….
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has pledged not to comment on domestic politics if she is appointed as the EU’s foreign policy chief, ERR reports. She will be stepping down after over three years in office. Despite challenges and tensions within the ruling coalition during her tenure, Kallas acknowledged the honour of serving and expressed…
Defence spending as a percentage of GDP in the Baltic States is among the highest in NATO, according to the Tallinn-based International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS), LSM reports. The study shows that Estonia’s overall defence expenditure amounts to 3.43% of GDP, which is third-highest in NATO after Poland (4.12%) and the US (3.72%)….