The Lithuanian men’s basketball team won against the US on 3 September 2023, advancing to the quarter-finals of the FIBA World Cup played in the Philippines, LRT reports. Following the win, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda tweeted to US President Joe Biden, saying that “it is just basketball; we are still allies.” Meanwhile, the municipality of the…
Latvia’s Office for Citizenship and Migration Affairs (PMLP) has denied residency to around 80 Russian citizens following an assessment by the State Security Service (VDD), LSM reports. PMLP has referred over 13,000 residence permit applications to VDD for review. VDD has so far completed its assessment on around 7,000 of the applicants. Under amendments to…
The number of job vacancies in Estonia totalled 11,079 in the second quarter of 2023, which was 17% fewer than in the same period of 2022, according to Statistics Estonia, ERR reports. Altogether 53,849 people were hired and 51,500 people left their jobs in the second quarter of 2023. Labour turnover decreased by 9% over…
The Lithuanian government seeks to have more direct flights to Germany, BNS reports. Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said that the more frequent flight connections would help German troops stationed in Lithuania. Also, Lithuania plans to open kindergartens and schools for the children of German soldiers, Anusauskas added. Lithuania’s defence chief, General Valdemaras Rupsys, said that…
Russia-backed hackers carried out large-scale cyber attacks against several state, financial, and health care institutions in Latvia on 4 September 2023, according to Latvia’s Information Technology Security Incident Prevention Agency, CERT.LV, Baltic News Network reports. The organised attacks involved phishing campaigns, defacing websites, and possible ransomware attacks. CERT.LV called on residents to report incidents and…
Estonia’s Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, should have resigned over a scandal involving her husband’s business ties with Russia, President Alar Karis stated, ERR reports. Speaking after a meeting with the leaders of parliamentary parties, Karis said that he would personally have preferred to see Kallas resign for the sake of the government’s effectiveness and Estonia’s…
Apartment rental prices in Lithuania are 20% higher than before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, LRT reports. In Vilnius, the rental price of a one-bedroom apartment is around EUR 1,000 or more per month in the city centre, EUR 700-800 in new buildings, and EUR 500 in old buildings. In Kaunas, rents are around EUR…
Exports of goods from Latvia to countries that continue to trade with Russia have increased rapidly, LSM reports. At the same time as exports to Russia have come to a halt due to sanctions, exports to countries of the Eurasian Economic Union have risen sharply. Exports of mechanical and electrical equipment to Russia have fallen…
Many Estonian companies continue doing business with Russia, ERR reports. Altogether 500-600 Estonian businesses still trade goods with Russia. The total value of goods exported from Estonia to Russia has not changed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, when it amounted to EUR 50-70mn per month. This is partly due to the rise…
