Estonia: New ambassador to Kazakhstan presents credentials

Estonia’s new ambassador to Kazakhstan, Jaap Ora, has presented copies of his credentials to Kazakhstan’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Alibek Kuantyrov, Kazinform reports. Welcoming the ambassador to Astana, Kuantyrov noted with satisfaction the progressive development of Kazakh-Estonian relations in the political, economic, and cultural-humanitarian spheres. The parties also discussed interaction within international organisations.

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Lithuania: President doubts call for EU sanctions on Israel

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda expressed “serious doubts” about a proposal from EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to sanction some Israeli ministers, BNS reports. Earlier, Borrell called for sanctions against Israeli ministers for statements that he said amounted to inciting war crimes. Nauseda pointed out that EU member states had very differing, sometimes diametrically opposing…

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Lithuania: President snubs Foreign Minister for EU commissioner job

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has suggested that he does not want to see Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis appointed to the European Commission (EC), BNS reports. Nauseda argued that Lithuania should seek an economic portfolio rather than a foreign policy one in the new commission, stressing that economic portfolios were equally important. He pointed out that…

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Latvia: Foreign Minister urges “decontamination” from Russia

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze has called for severing economic ties with Russia and Belarus “to the maximum,” LSM reports. She insisted that Latvia must continue to decontaminate itself from Russian influence, stressing that economic security was as important for national security as military security. Braze reiterated the need for robust EU sanctions against Russia…

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Baltic: Members of US House Baltic Caucus visit Latvia, Lithuania

US congressmen Donald Bacon of Nebraska and Salud Carbajal of California have visited the Baltic States, LSM reports. In Latvia, the two members of the US House of Representatives met with Prime Minister Evika Silina, Foreign Minister Baiba Braze, and Defence Minister Andris Spruds to discuss political, economic, and defence cooperation, the NATO summit in…

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