Estonia’s three-party ruling coalition will meet on 30 January 2024 to discuss the state of the coalition, according to Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, chairman of Estonia 200 (E200), ERR reports. Tsahkna said that E200 would propose ways to revitalise the economy, including measures to reform education, ensure labour and capital availability, and stabilise energy prices…
Estonia’s Ministry of Climate has confirmed the felling quota for the state forest management centre, Riigimetsa Majandamise Keskus (RMK), in 2024, ERR reports. Under the decision, the felling quota will remain unchanged at 9,180 hectares. The quota only relates to RMK’s forest land, which represents around 1% of Estonia’s total forest area. A little less…
Latvia and Lithuania were among the largest exporters of beer to Russia in 2023, LRT reported, citing Russian news agency RIA Novosti. According to the report, the value of Lithuania’s beer exports to Russia amounted to USD 36.5mn in 2023, which was up by 1.9 times from 2022, accounting for just over 15% of Russia’s…
The Latvian government has outlined a comprehensive action plan to strengthen national security over the next few years, LETA reports. Key initiatives include securing allied presence, implementing NATO’s strategic concept, contributing to the EU’s security and defence policy, strengthening cooperation with transatlantic partners, and promoting EU-NATO cooperation. The plan prioritises dialogue with NATO member states,…
Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds expressed scepticism about the idea of creating an “EU army,” LSM reported. Latvia’s position was that NATO was irreplaceable and constituted the cornerstone of European security, Spruds stated. He pointed out that NATO united most EU countries as well as non-EU countries, insisting that there was no need to duplicate…
Latvian metal processing company EMJ Metals has started cooperation with Finnish military vehicle manufacturer Patria, LSM reports. EMJ Metals manufactures metal sheet parts and APC bodies. The company invested EUR 3mn in equipment and renovating its production facility to enable cooperation with manufacturers in other countries. Latvian companies are now cooperating with 10 large global…
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…
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…
Lithuania’s real GDP totalled EUR 53.2bn at current prices in the first nine months of 2023, which was down 0.5% from the same period of 2022, according to the State Data Agency’s first estimate, BNS reports. In the third quarter of 2023, the GDP totalled EUR 19.2bn, which was up 0.1% from a year earlier….