Latvia’s Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins invited every Latvian living abroad to return home, The Baltic Times reports. He stressed their essential role in Latvia and assured them of a warm welcome upon their return. Speaking at the Kipsala International Exhibition Centre to diaspora participants of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival, Karins urged expatriates to…
Latvia’s Competition Council has allowed Estonian investment company Dragad to merge into Estonia-based holding Maral Invest, Baltic News Network reports. Following the merger, Dragad will be removed from the commercial register. Dragad’s Estonian subsidiary, Võru-based Cristella VT, produces various bakery products. Maral Invest owns three major bakeries in the Baltic states: Estonia’s Eesti Pagar, Latvia’s…
The Latvian agrarian political party, Latvian Farmers Union (LZS), has decided to ask the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) to decide on requesting the dismissal of Agriculture Minister Didzis Šmits (United List), Baltic News Network reports. ZZS will be meeting to discuss the request on 4 July 2023. LZS accused Šmits of “inaction” amid…
The Latvian Trade Union of Education and Science Employees (LIZDA) will ask Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins to adopt urgent solutions to implement the agreement reached with the Ministry of Education and Science after a recent teacher strike, LETA reports. Earlier, LIZDA demanded that Education Minister Anda Caksa resign, which the minister refused to do, insisting…
The Latvian government has approved amendments to requirements on green public procurement, aiming to provide more opportunities for local producers, Baltic News Network reports. The updated criteria cover various categories such as food and catering, indoor and street lighting, construction, transport, and road construction and maintenance. The amendments will enable municipal and state institutions to…
The NATO summit in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, is set to have unprecedented security measures in place, with approximately 12,000 officers and soldiers assigned to ensure security, BNS reports. This is the first time that Lithuania is hosting an event of such magnitude. The summit will welcome 48 foreign delegations with 2,400 members, including 40 heads…
Latvia’s industrial production output declined by 8.8% in May 2023 compared to a year earlier, according to calendar-adjusted data at constant prices, data from the Central Statistical Bureau showed, LSM reports. Output dropped by 7.7% in manufacturing, 7.9% in mining and quarrying, and 15.3% in electricity and gas supply. Compared to April 2023, industrial production…
The Latvian bakery, Kuldigas Maizes Ceptuve (Kuldiga Bakery), will continue operations under new ownership, LSM reports. Earlier, the company announced that the bakery would be forced to shut down. However, the bakery has now been acquired by Kuldiga-based entrepreneur Gatis Rozenfelds, who plans to resume production. Kuldiga Bakery began producing bread and pastries in the…
Food prices in Latvia are not falling as rapidly as they should, and people’s purchasing power is not increasing, Inguna Gulbe, head of the Agricultural Market Promotion Centre (LTVC), stated, LSM reports. She noted that prices for some food products, such as sunflower oil and butter, were falling, while other food products remained more expensive…