Estonia is due to receive a US-made M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and other artillery and air defence systems soon, Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur announced, ERR reports. Estonia will receive an IRIS-T medium-range air defence system, 18 different mobile artillery pieces, around EUR 700mn worth of ammunition, nearly 200 armoured vehicles, and various…
Lithuania will propose that the three Baltic States build a joint power plant to ensure flexible electricity production and energy security, Lithuanian Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas announced, BNS reports. Speaking on LRT, the minister suggested that the power plant could run on gas. He did not elaborate on the possible technology and location of the…
Lithuania’s incoming centre-left government has revealed its draft programme for the next four years, LRT reports. The new coalition plans to focus on welfare, with more child benefits and better accessibility to health care and education. Also, the government may make changes to tax policy, moving towards progressive taxation. The new government plans to reverse…
Estonia’s GDP totalled EUR 10bn in the third quarter of 2024, which was down 0.7% from the same period of 2023, according to data published by Statistics Estonia, The Baltic Guide reported. This was the tenth consecutive quarter of economic decline. The seasonally and working-day adjusted GDP fell by 0.6% over a year but remained…
Latvia approved 30 applications for investor visas and 53 dependent visas under its so-called golden visa programme in the first half of 2024, Investment Migration Insider reports. The biggest number of approved applications were submitted by Chinese (11) and Turkish (7) nationals. The EUR 50,000 business investment option accounted for 22 and real estate investments…
The largest ever Latvian trade mission to the US concluded its visit on 26 September 2024, LSM reported. Economy Minister Viktors Valainis said that three major cooperation agreements were signed during the visit. Also, talks started on investments in sustainable energy, biomedicine, and infrastructure development, he added. Earlier, Valainis expected the trade mission to bring…
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal has submitted his government’s draft state budget for 2025 and budget strategy for 2025-2028 to the country’s parliament, the Riigikogu, ERR reports. According to the Ministry of Finance, budget expenses and investments will increase by 3.8% to EUR 19.1bn and revenues by 5.2% to EUR 17.7bn in 2025, ERR reported….
Latvia’s national air carrier, airBaltic, plans to expand its operations at Lithuania’s Vilnius International Airport (VIA), CEO Martin Gauss announced, LETA reports. He said that the company would more than double its fleet in Vilnius and increase the number of destinations offered from the airport. Currently, airBaltic has two aircraft stationed at VIA. Gauss said…
Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte has expressed scepticism about an idea to establish a state-run second-pillar pension fund, Baltic News Network reports. She noted that there was plenty of competition in the pension fund market, and that the activities of pension funds were well regulated. The problem was that there was not much choice on…