The number of border violations on Latvia’s eastern border with Belarus is increasing amid warmer weather, State Border Guard (VRS) chief Guntis Pujats announced, LSM reports. He noted that the situation on the border remained calm in January and early February 2024, but that the number of attempts to cross the border illegally had picked up…
Lithuanian banks and credit institutions paid around EUR 256mn in temporary solidarity tax in 2023, according to the Bank of Lithuania, BNS reported. The central bank estimates that revenue from the solidarity tax could amount to around EUR 190mn in 2024. The government will use the proceeds from the bank tax to pay for military…
Building unified Baltic defence infrastructure should be coordinated with Finnish and Polish military experts, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics stated, LETA reports. Baltic cooperation with Finland and Poland was necessary to create an effective defence mechanism, he said. At the same time, Rinkevics reminded that Latvia was part of NATO’s defence planning. He discussed the issue…
The construction of the Baltic Defence Line in Latvia could take a decade, Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds estimated, LETA reports. He noted that the project would entail significant costs, which were currently being assessed. The government will have to align the costs with other national priorities, the minister said. Earlier, Baltic defence ministers signed…
The decision of the three Baltic States to build a “Baltic defence line” is preparation for a possible Russian attack, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis stated, BNS reports. He said that the move served as a political message, seeking to draw the attention of allies to the threat posed by Russia. “If Russia is not…
The Estonian government plans to invest EUR 680.5mn in road maintenance in 2024-2027, which is EUR 76mn more than in the previous four-year period, the Ministry of Climate announced, BNS reports. State budget funds will account for EUR 543.8mn and funding from the EU’s Cohesion Fund and Connecting Europe Facility for EUR 136.7mn of the…
The defence ministers of the Baltic States have signed an agreement on building “anti-mobility defensive installations” on their borders with Russia and Belarus, Estonia’s Defence Ministry announced, ERR reports. The Baltic defence line will include bunkers, support points, and distribution lines. Estonia plans to begin building the bunkers in early 2025. The number of bunkers…
Estonia’s state-owned Rail Baltic Estonia has signed a contract for construction work on the first section of the new Rail Baltica main railway line with TREV-2 Grupp and AllSpark, ERR reports. The 4.8-kilometre section runs from Tallinn’s Ülemiste railway station to Rae municipality. Construction work will begin in spring 2024 and is due to be…
Lithuania’s state-owned airport operator, Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, LTOU), plans to invest another EUR 250mn in 2025-2052, according to a study drawn up by Dutch aviation consultancy NACO, BNS reports. Under the plan, LTOU would invest around EUR 180mn in developing Vilnius International Airport, EUR 50mn in Kaunas Airport, and EUR 20mn in Palanga…