The gross value added (GVA) generated by the forestry and logging industry in the Baltic States was highest in Latvia in 2022, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. The sector’s GVA totalled EUR 490mn in current prices in Latvia in 2022, which was up from EUR 123mn in 2000. The forestry industry’s GVA totalled EUR…
Finnish telecommunications operator Elisa has repaired two data cables between Finland and Estonia that were damaged on Christmas Day, YLE reports. Elisa said that the cable damage had no impact on data transfer between Finland and Estonia. An oil tanker that is part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” is suspected of damaging four data cables and…
The Latvian animated film, “Flow,” has become the first Latvian film to receive a Golden Globe award, LSM reports. The film, directed by Latvian filmmaker Gints Zilbalodis, won the Golden Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film of 2024. The film, notable for being completely rendered on the free and open-source software, Blender, and containing…
Lithuania should withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel mines, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas stated, BNS reports. He expects the Defence Ministry and Foreign Ministry to resolve the issue. Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene said that the goal was to have a regional solution. Earlier, she said that military advice would be the key element in…
People in Latvia are more optimistic about their financial situation, according to a new SKDS poll for Luminor Bank conducted in December 2024, Baltic News Network reports. The survey showed that 42% of respondents expected their financial situation to improve in 2025, with 22% expecting much better and 21% slightly better finances. Meanwhile, 24% of…
The Baltic and Polish transmission system operators (TSO) plan to apply for around EUR 600mn of EU funding for infrastructure investments from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), ERR reports. The funds would be divided equally between the four companies. The companies would use the funds for investments in protecting their critical energy infrastructure. Kalle Kilk,…
Estonia has implemented a new rounding rule for cash payments as of 1 January 2025, The Baltic Guide reports. Under the new “Swedish rounding” rule, the final cash transaction totals will be rounded to the nearest five cents, reducing the need for one and two cent coins. The coins will still remain legal tender, however….
Latvia would support Estonia or Finland if they requested consultations with allies under NATO’s Article 4, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics announced, LETA reports. He was responding to questions about the recent sabotage of undersea power and data cables in the Baltic Sea. Rinkevics stressed the need for bolstering the physical presence of NATO allied forces…
The Lithuanian government may change the terms of a tender for the right to build a second 700 MW offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea, Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas announced, Baltic News Network reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Vaiciunas said that the Energy Ministry was looking for solutions to ensure the…