Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers have agreed to help step up international support for Moldova after Russia’s state-owned energy corporation, Gazprom, stopped gas supplies to the country, ERR reports. In a joint statement, the eight ministers said that they would work with the European Commission and other key partners to help Moldova. The ministers said…
Ukraine will remain the number one priority of Estonia’s foreign policy for as long as the war continues, Jonatan Vseviov, secretary general of Estonia’s Foreign Ministry, said, ERR reports. If Ukraine manages to survive winter 2024-2025, then spring-summer 2025 could be easier, he suggested. Estonia will never accept changes to European borders through military aggression,…
An anchor belonging to the Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker, Eagle S, which is suspected of damaging several undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, has been retrieved from the seabed, YLE reports. The anchor was raised by the Swedish Navy’s submarine rescue ship, Belos. Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (KRP) will now begin analysing the…
The Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS) have increased monitoring of Latvia’s critical undersea infrastructure, Defence Minister Andris Spruds announced, LETA reports. He noted that NATO’s response to the recent damage to infrastructure in the Baltic Sea had been swift. Latvia supports NATO’s increased military presence in the Baltic Sea, Spruds said. Meanwhile, Latvian President Edgars…
The prolonged war in Ukraine has forced Europe to wake up to the threat that Russia poses, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told The Kyiv Independent. He pointed to a “change of mentality,” a realisation that Russia is an aggressive country and will remain a threat, and that Europe can actually fight back. Nevertheless, too…
The gross value added (GVA) generated by the forestry and logging industry in the Baltic States was highest in Latvia in 2022, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. The sector’s GVA totalled EUR 490mn in current prices in Latvia in 2022, which was up from EUR 123mn in 2000. The forestry industry’s GVA totalled EUR…
Finnish telecommunications operator Elisa has repaired two data cables between Finland and Estonia that were damaged on Christmas Day, YLE reports. Elisa said that the cable damage had no impact on data transfer between Finland and Estonia. An oil tanker that is part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” is suspected of damaging four data cables and…
The Baltic and Polish transmission system operators (TSO) plan to apply for around EUR 600mn of EU funding for infrastructure investments from the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), ERR reports. The funds would be divided equally between the four companies. The companies would use the funds for investments in protecting their critical energy infrastructure. Kalle Kilk,…
Estonia has implemented a new rounding rule for cash payments as of 1 January 2025, The Baltic Guide reports. Under the new “Swedish rounding” rule, the final cash transaction totals will be rounded to the nearest five cents, reducing the need for one and two cent coins. The coins will still remain legal tender, however….