Joint policy coordination among the three Baltic States was crucial in the current geopolitical situation, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics stated, LETA reports. Speaking during an official visit to Lithuania, Rinkevics noted that Latvia and Lithuania shared common interests in terms of EU and NATO policy, strengthening security and defence capabilities, ensuring energy security and independence,…
Latvia’s electricity transmission system operator, Augstsprieguma Tikls (AST), plans to invest EUR 509.8mn in the transmission network in 2024-2033, LSM reports. EU support will cover EUR 135.8mn of the total sum. AST will invest in the infrastructure and management technologies of the electricity transmission network to prepare for the synchronisation of the Latvian power grid…
Estonia’s Minister of Defence, Hanno Pevkur, has approved a defence plan for 2024-2027 to increase the country’s military capabilities and defence forces, ERR reports. Pevkur said that Estonia would acquire “significantly more and better weapons, ammunition, and equipment,” as well as invest in people and infrastructure. The defence plans include investments in the Ämari Air…
Estonia does not need a permanent NATO brigade, Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur stated, ERR reports. He noted that Estonia already has more than 2,000 allied troops permanently stationed in the country. Estonian society would not be prepared for the construction of another large military training area in the country, he argued. Also, an additional deployment…
Latvia’s new president, former foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics, made his first official visit abroad to Estonia on 10 July 2023, ERR reports. He met with Estonian President Alar Karis, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, and other officials in Tallinn. They discussed bilateral cooperation, regional cooperation projects, continued support for Ukraine, and the NATO summit in Vilnius….
Lithuania and Poland need to increase their cooperation to speed up the synchronisation of the Baltic electricity grids with the European system, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated, BNS reports. Also, the two countries needed to accelerate the implementation of the Via Baltica highway, the Augustow-Alytus road, and the Rail Baltica railway projects, Nauseda said. Speaking…
Estonia’s state-owned company Rail Baltic Estonia, which was established to build the Rail Baltica railway, reported revenue of nearly EUR 39.6mn in 2022, which was up 84.3% from 2021, BNS reports. The company’s annual profit more than doubled from EUR 11.4mn to EUR 28.5mn. Rail Baltic Estonia made a profit of EUR 36mn from targeted…
The European Commission has approved a financing package of EUR 305mn from the Connecting Europe Facility for transport infrastructure projects in Latvia during the 2021-2027 financial period, the Ministry of Transport announced, Baltic News Network reports. The ministry will allocate the funds to several key initiatives, including EUR 298mn for the Rail Baltica railway project,…
Latvia’s Jurmala city council plans to begin reconstruction work on the Dzintari overpass in autumn 2023, deputy mayor Janis Ledins told LETA. The city council allocated funds for the long-awaited project, which is estimated to cost over EUR 7mn. Earlier, the Latvian government approved a state loan for the project. The general contractor on the…