Latvia and Lithuania refused to accept a new package of EU sanctions against Russia that would have allowed companies to continue doing business in Russia, BNS reports. Three unnamed EU diplomats told Politico that Latvia and Lithuania blocked a clause that included exceptions allowing EU companies to continue importing and exporting sanctioned goods. The clause…
The Estonian company, Tiigi Keskus, has acquired the state-owned rail freight operator, Operail, at a privatisation auction for EUR 19mn, ERR reports. Richard Tomingas, board member of Tiigi Keskus, said that Operail would continue providing rail services, particularly container transportation, in Estonia and expand its operations later if possible. Following the deal, the Estonian state…
Malta has cancelled a visa issued to Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, following joint pressure from the three Baltic states, The Baltic Sentinel reports. According to Russian independent news outlet Meduza, Malta cancelled Zakharova’s visa a day before a ministerial council meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)…
Estonia’s state IT agency, the Estonian Information System Authority (RIA), has launched a mobile application for accessing the Eesti.ee state services portal, ERR reports. The new application will allow users to access the portal’s most popular services on their smartphones. The application’s use for official identification still requires a legislative amendment. The application is available…
Average consumer prices in Latvia rose by 2.2% in November 2024 when compared to the same period of 2023, according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. Compared to October 2024, average consumer prices rose by 0.2%. Since 2015, overall consumer prices have risen by 46.4%.
The passenger train operators of the three Baltic states will begin coordinating their timetables to enable a smooth connection between the Baltic capitals, LSM reports. Estonia’s Elron, Latvia’s Vivi, and Lithuania’s LTG Link plan to align the timetables as of 6 January 2025. Transfer times at Valga and Riga will be around 10-20 minutes. The…
Authorities in Lithuania suspect a member of the conservative Homeland Union of spying for Russia, BNS reports. Sources confirmed that the suspect was Eduardas Manovas, a dual Lithuanian and Russian citizen from Siauliai. Remigijus Bridikis, deputy director of the State Security Department (VSD), said that the suspect was part of Russian military intelligence’s (GRU) illegals…
Lithuania should not censor everything related to Russian culture, the country’s incoming culture minister, Sarunas Birutis, stated, LRT reports. Speaking in an interview with ELTA, Birutis insisted that the “Russian nation was not the same as the Kremlin.” He pointed out that Russians had been neighbours to Lithuanians “for millennia” and would continue to be…
The Latvian government has failed to pay nearly EUR 1mn to the Baltic joint venture, RB Rail, which coordinates the development of the Rail Baltica railway project, LSM reports. A member of RB Rail’s board told TV24 that the company’s staff were currently being paid from Estonian and Lithuanian money. The three Baltic States have…