The presidents of the three Baltic States — Estonia’s Alar Karis, Latvia’s Edgars Rinkevics, and Lithuania’s Gitanas Nauseda — have called for reforming the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), BNS reported. They stressed the need to support Ukraine and hold Russia accountable for its military aggression. Karis pointed to the UNSC’s current inability to resolve conflicts,…
More than 60 Latvian companies are taking part in a large trade mission to the US led by President Edgars Rinkevics, Labs of Latvia reports. Around 80% of the companies represent the service sector. The delegation will visit three cities — Houston, San Francisco, and Denver — over 16-24 September 2024. Economy Minister Viktors Valainis…
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has submitted to the country’s parliament, the Saeima, amendments that would freeze the wages of top management in state-owned enterprises (SOE), LETA reports. Under the proposal, the wages of top executives at state and municipal companies would be frozen until the end of 2026. Rinkevics stressed that the remuneration of top…
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics will pay a visit to the US on 17-27 September 2024, LSM reports. He will lead a Latvian trade delegation to California, visiting major technology companies, including Google, Groq, Meta, and OpenAI, as well as NASA’s Ames Research Center. Also, Rinkevics will take part in a roundtable discussion at Stanford University….
Latvia’s Transport Minister, Kaspars Briskens, has no intention to resign despite criticism of his communication, LSM reports. Earlier, President Edgars Rinkevics and Prime Minister Evika Silina criticised the minister’s messaging on the future of the country’s national air carrier, airBaltic, and the Rail Baltica railway project. Speaking after a meeting with Briskens, Rinkevics said that…
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics criticised Transport Minister Kaspars Briskens for his communication on the development of the country’s national air carrier, airBaltic, and the Rail Baltica railway project, LSM reports. Rinkevics said that the minister’s communication had been a “complete failure.” Speaking after her meeting with the President, Prime Minister Evika Silina said that she…
Baltic leaders reacted strongly to Russia’s massive missile attacks across Ukraine, including against a children’s hospital in Kyiv, on 8 July 2024. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated that there was “no line Russian terrorists would not cross.” Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said that Russia was a terrorist state with whom negotiations were impossible. Estonian…
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics is emulating former president Vaira Vike-Freiberga by seeking support directly from society, rather than relying on political elites, according to political analyst Filips Rajevskis, LETA reports. Rajevskis notes that Rinkevics is positioning himself as a mediator between citizens and the political elite. Although his role lacks direct power, the president’s extensive…
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics called for increased EU defence spending, exempting it from fiscal rules, Kathimerini reports. He emphasised the need for the EU to be more self-reliant in defence and for more coordination in defence matters. During his visit to Athens, Rinkevics discussed with Greek officials boosting economic ties, securing more funding for external…
