The Estonian Defence and Aerospace Industry Association (EKTL) has signed a cooperation agreement with Ukraine’s Ministry of Strategic Industries, ERR reports. The agreement, which covers both technology development and transfer, allows Estonian defence industry companies to increase their involvement in the development of Ukraine’s defence capabilities, giving direct access to Ukrainian state institutions. Currently, 10…
Estonia’s annual number of live births dropped to a new record low in 2023, according to data from the Ministry of Interior, ERR reports. The number of people born totalled 10,721 in 2023, which was down 867 from 11,588 a year earlier. Deaths totalled 15,832, which was down 1,413 from 17,245 in 2022. Deaths thus…
Estonian President Alar Karis said that the main purpose of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s official visit to Estonia was to thank the people of Estonia for their unwavering support during the ongoing war, ERR reported. He called on democratic countries to do more for Ukraine to win and for Russia to lose. The outcome of…
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has concluded a two-day official visit to the three Baltic States. At a press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Zelensky said that his visit underscored the “shared trust” between nations in Russia’s neighbourhood, BNS reported. Speaking to a large crowd outside the Presidential Palace in Vilnius, Zelensky said that Russia…
The parliamentary group of Estonia’s opposition Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) will find it hard to recover from the exodus of MPs from the party, ERR’s Uku Toom estimates. The parliamentary group has dwindled from 26 MPs a year ago to just 7 today. The faction is therefore unlikely to have representatives in all parliamentary committees…
The number of new cars sold in Estonia totalled 22,820 in 2023, which was 11.7% more than in 2022, according to data from the Union of Estonian Car Sales and Service Enterprises (AMTEL), ERR reports. Sales were still short of the figure in 2019, when the number of new cars sold totalled 26,589. Hybrid vehicles…
Estonia may deport permanent residents who choose to take Russian citizenship, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas confirmed, ERR reports, citing Postimees. Earlier, Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets said that stateless persons who took Russian passports were likely to have their Estonian residence permits revoked and face deportation. Kallas argued that an individual who chooses to obtain Russian…
Estonia will issue 10-year bonds for EUR 1bn to cover the state budget deficit in 2024, ERR reports. Sven Kirsipuu, deputy secretary general of the Ministry of Finance, said that the bond issue would cover about half of the state’s borrowing needs in 2024. Preliminary indications suggested that investor interest in Estonian bonds remained strong,…
Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, has arrived in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on a tour of Baltic States, ERR reports. The topics of discussion will be security, EU and NATO integration, cooperation on electronic warfare and drones, and coordinating European support for Ukraine. Zelensky expressed gratitude for the “uncompromising support” for Ukraine that the Baltic States…
