Latvia will gradually assume responsibility for NATO’s Baltic air policing mission due to ongoing repairs at the Estonian Air Force base in Ämari, LETA reports. The Latvian National Armed Forces (NBS) air base in Lielvarde will host the mission for nine months from 1 March 2024. This is the first time that the mission rotation…
Estonia’s consumer price index (CPI) rose by 9.2% in 2023, compared to the year before, according to Statistics Estonia, ERR reports. The rise of food and non-alcoholic beverages accounted for almost two fifths of the overall rise in consumer prices. Meanwhile, petrol prices dropped by 7.4% and diesel fuel prices by 10.7% over a year….
Another six members of the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, have resigned from the opposition Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond), and four of them joined the Social Democratic Party (SDE), which is part of the current coalition government, ERR reports. One of those leaving is Tanel Kiik, chairman of the Centre Party’s parliamentary group. Earlier, two of…
Russia will close the Ivangorod checkpoint on the border with Estonia to road traffic as of 1 February 2024, ERR reports. Russia said that the move was due to “renovation work,” which will last until late 2025. Estonia has sent Russia a diplomatic note over the decision. The border crossing between Ivangorod and Estonia’s city…
The EU should ban the import and transit of grain from Russia and Belarus, Latvia’s Transport Minister Kaspars Briskens stated, LSM reports. He urged the Baltic States to adopt a joint position on the issue, whereas Latvia’s state-owned rail operator, LDz Cargo, insisted on the need for a common EU stance. When Estonia’s state-owned rail…
Retailers in Estonia expect declining sales in the first half of 2024 amid lower consumer confidence, ERR reports. Many consumers plan to go shopping in neighbouring countries due to the rise in the VAT rate from 20% to 22% as of 1 January 2024, according to a Norstat poll for Citadele bank, BNS reports. The…
Passenger rail service from Estonia’s second-largest city, Tartu, to the Latvian capital, Riga, could begin in the second half of 2025, according to Estonian passenger rail operator Elron, LETA reports. Latvia’s passenger train operator, Pasazieru Vilciens (Vivi), has proposed opening a rail link from Riga to Tartu in spring 2025. Latvia’s Transport Minister, Kaspars Briskens,…
Estonia’s former prime minister and former chairman of the Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond), Jüri Ratas, expects more people to leave the opposition party, ERR reports. He said that the party’s new chairman, Tallinn’s Russian-speaking mayor Mihhail Kõlvart, has failed to ensure party unity, noting that most of those who have quit are Estonian-speakers. Earlier, two…
Estonia’s Ministry of Justice is considering granting the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) the power to order ISPs to block websites involved in copyright infringement, ERR reports. The ministry argues that existing legal means are insufficient for protecting copyright on digital platforms. The proposed solution involves DNS and IP-based blocking, allowing ISPs to…