Lithuania: Ministers urge EU to help release trucks from Belarus

Lithuania has asked the European Commission (EC) to help release Lithuanian trucks detained in neighbouring Belarus, BNS reports. Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys and Transport Minister Juras Taminskas urged the EC to draw up a coherent action plan to support EU haulage companies. Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said that around 280 Lithuanian trucks were stuck in…

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Estonia: IKEA Group gets go-ahead to buy Södra’s forests

Swedish-owned IKEA Group has received permission from the Estonian Competition Authority (Konkurentsiamet) to acquire 18,000 hectares of forest from Swedish-owned Södra Forest Estonia, ERR reports. Under the deal, IKEA Group’s subsidiary, Ingka Investments, will buy Södra’s forests in Estonia and Latvia for EUR 720mn. Latvia’s Competition Council has received notification of the deal. Södra owns…

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Baltic: Baltics, Denmark sign agreement on joint medicine purchases

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Denmark have signed a cooperation agreement to begin joint medicine purchases, ERR reports. The Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs said that the agreement would allow the countries to order larger quantities of medicines, helping obtain lower prices and more reliable terms of delivery. The ministry noted that new medicines usually arrive…

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Latvia: Fitch drops airBaltic’s credit rating to CCC+

International rating agency Fitch Ratings has downgraded the long-term issuer default rating of Latvia’s national air carrier, airBaltic, from B-/Negative to CCC+, indicating “significant risks” for creditors, LETA reports. Fitch also downgraded airBaltic’s senior secured long-term notes worth EUR 380mn from B- to CCC+. The agency noted that airBaltic’s level of indebtedness was higher and financial…

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