Latvia’s New Unity, Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS), and Progressives have agreed on the distribution of seats in their new coalition government, LETA reports. New Unity will have eight, ZZS will have five, and the Progressives will have three seats in the new cabinet. The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, is due to approve the…
Turkish-owned Liepaja Steel has abandoned plans to resume production at its steel plant in the Latvian city of Liepaja, LETA reports. The company will dismantle the plant’s steel melting furnace and move the machinery to Türkiye. Liepaja Steel failed to reach agreement with the Liepaja city council and the Liepaja Special Economic Zone (Liepajas SEZ)…
Latvia’s President, Edgars Rinkevics, met with representatives of the United List alliance to discuss the formation of a new coalition government, LETA reports. He said that forming a government with the broadest possible parliamentary majority was still possible. Earlier, United List refused an invitation from prime minister-designate Evika Silina to form a four-party coalition government…
Latvia’s United List has rejected an offer from prime minister-designate Evika Silina to form a four-party coalition government with New Unity, the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS), and the Progressives, LSM reports. Edgars Tavars, head of the United List’s parliamentary group, said that his group would propose another coalition model instead, with Silina still…
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has nominated New Unity’s Evika Silina for prime minister, LETA reports. Silina would replace New Unity leader Krisjanis Karins, who announced his resignation from the premiership earlier. Silina serves as minister of welfare in the current government. Rinkevics expressed confidence that Silina would be able to form the broadest possible coalition…
The Latvian government will extend the period for Russian citizens residing in the country to pass a Latvian language examination, LETA reports. The government instructed the Ministry of Interior to prepare amendments that would allow Russian citizens to apply for temporary residence permits for two years, during which time they would have to take the…
Latvia’s state-owned railway company, Latvijas Dzelzcels (LDz), carried 7.746mn tonnes of rail cargo in the first half of 2023, which was 36.7% less than in the same period of 2022, LETA reports. The volume of international freight amounted to 7.041mn tonnes (down 39.2%), while domestic freight doubled to 705,000 tonnes. LDz board chairman Rinalds Plavnieks…
Latvia’s Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) has released a list of Latvian companies that continue to export to Russia and Belarus, LETA reports. Economy Minister Ilze Indriksone instructed CSB to publish the list, which includes nearly 1,000 companies. The most common goods exported from Latvia to Russia include food products, alcoholic beverages, chemicals, medical products, machinery,…
Latvia’s Riga City Council has elected New Unity’s Vilnis Kirsis as the capital city’s new mayor, LETA reports. Kirsis named street renovation, construction of new housing, and investment in education as his policy priorities. Kirsis served as acting mayor after the resignation of Martins Stakis, who represented the Progressives and Movement For, in early July…
