Estonia’s three-party coalition government has reached agreement on tax changes, Prime Minister Kristen Michal announced, ERR reports. He said that the government would raise the corporate profit tax, personal income tax, and VAT to finance increased spending on defence. The government will raise the VAT rate by 2 percentage points as of 1 July 2025…
The foreign ministries of Estonia and Latvia will hold their annual seminar in the border town of Valga on 17-18 September 2024, LSM reports. Foreign ministers Margus Tsahkna and Baiba Braze will open the seminar, which is now being held for the ninth consecutive year. The ministers and foreign service officials will discuss defence and…
Belarus has deployed military equipment and troops to its border with Lithuania, according to the OSINT monitoring group, Belarusian Hajun, RBC-Ukraine reports. The group said that the Armed Forces of Belarus (USRB) had transferred a tactical group of the 19th Mechanised Brigade to the Hudahaj station in Hrodna region, just seven kilometres from the border…
Estonia’s Interior Ministry needs EUR 40mn to complete the deployment of infrastructure on the country’s border with Russia by the end of 2025, Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets estimated, ERR reports. He said that the infrastructure included fencing, technological equipment, access roads, and communication systems. The overall cost could rise to EUR 100mn if the government…
Lithuania should aim to raise its defence budget to 4% of GDP, Defence Minister Laurynas Kasciunas stated, BNS reports. He said that this would allow Lithuania to maintain existing capabilities and acquire long-range air defence systems and combat helicopters. Earlier, President Gitanas Nauseda urged to raise defence spending to at least 3.5% of GDP. Lithuania’s…
The Estonian government will allocate almost EUR 200mn for the construction of the Rail Baltica railway and another EUR 75mn for a joint rail depot in Tallinn’s Ülemiste district over the next four years, Infrastructure Minister Vladimir Svet announced, ERR reports. He said that the funds would come from the sale of CO2 quotas. The…
Lithuanian and German officials have signed an agreement on the rights of German troops, civilian personnel, and their families in Lithuania, BNS reports. The agreement was signed by the Lithuanian and German defence ministers, Laurynas Kasciunas and Boris Pistorius, as well as deputy foreign ministers Jonas Survila and Tobias Lindner, in Berlin. The agreement provides…
The Estonian government has agreed to allocate EUR 1.1bn for the purchase of ammunition until 2028, Education Minister Kristina Kallas announced, ERR reports. Earlier, the three-party coalition had agreed to spend altogether EUR 1.6bn on procuring ammunition. Kallas said that the remaining amount would be up to the next government. Earlier, Brigadier General Andrus Merilo,…
Lithuania’s Defence Minister, Laurynas Kasciunas, urged NATO allies to form a coalition to fund Ukraine’s defence industry, BNS reports. Lithuania will allocate EUR 10mn to Ukraine for the acquisition of long-range weapons manufactured in Ukraine. Kasciunas urged other countries to do the same, either by transferring the purchased weapons to the Armed Forces of Ukraine…