Baltic officials were mostly critical of Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre’s phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna insisted that “every contact with Russia must convey Europe’s unity and determination to support Ukraine and maintain pressure on Russia,” ERR reported. He called for increased…
Restoring Lithuania’s full diplomatic relations with communist China should not depend on the name of the Taiwanese Representative Office in Vilnius, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated, BNS reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Nauseda suggested restoring diplomatic representation on a lower level first, such as deputy heads of mission rather than ambassadors. He…
The international credit rating agency, Fitch Ratings, has affirmed Lithuania’s long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating at A+ with a stable outlook, the Finance Ministry announced, BNS reports. The agency pointed to Lithuania’s credible policy framework, EU and eurozone membership, resilient economic growth, moderate government debt, and high institutional quality. Risks were related to the current…
Baltic and Polish leaders urged the EU to allocate necessary funding for the Rail Baltica railway project under the EU’s multiannual financial framework in 2028-2034, the Office of the President of Lithuania reported. In a joint letter to European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the leaders reaffirmed the…
The Lithuanian government has introduced a 50% discount on domestic train tickets and will introduce a similar discount on intercity bus fares until the end of 2026, BNS reports. The purpose is to encourage the use of public transport amid the rise in fuel prices. Transport Minister Juras Taminskas said that the additional discount would…
The incumbent mayor of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, Valdas Benkunskas, will seek a second term in office in the municipal elections due to be held in March 2027, BNS reports. If re-elected, he said that his priorities would include renovating residential courtyards and expanding transport infrastructure. Benkunskas, who is a member of the conservative Homeland…
Several public institutions and agencies in the Baltic States took their websites offline on 21 October 2026 due to global critical security vulnerabilities in PHP-based applications. In Estonia, the Ministry of Education and Science shut down access to the online learning platform, Moodle, temporarily, ERR reported. Also, the National Archives of Estonia closed or limited…
The European Muslim League (EML) has expressed concern over anti-Muslim incidents in Lithuania, BNS reports. EML pointed to the possible public burning of a Quran in Vilnius and the disruption of Muslim prayer near a mosque in Kaunas. Mufti Aleksandras Beganskas, head of the Council of Muslim Religious Communities of Lithuania (LRMBT), cited threats to…
Human rights organisations and trade unions in Lithuania expressed concern about widespread exploitation of foreign workers in the country, BNS reported. Trade unions said that third-country nationals often had their passports or residence permits taken away at work, were assigned jobs different from those agreed, and were being subjected to excessive overtime and arbitrary fines….
