The social and labour affairs committee of the Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved amendments that would introduce stricter rules on workplace language requirements, LSM reports. The amendments aim to strengthen the role of the Latvian language in the labour market. Many employers in Latvia still require that staff speak Russian. The amendments stipulate that…
The coordinator of the Rail Baltica railway project, RB Rail, will start talks with private investors on financing the project’s implementation in Latvia at the end of 2024, LSM reports. Latvia’s Ministry of Transport presented a report on the project to the public expenditure and audit committee of the Latvian parliament, the Saeima. Latvia has…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has passed in final reading amendments that ban vehicles registered in Belarus from Latvia, LETA reports. 77 MPs voted in favour of the amendments, while 9 voted against, LSM reported. Under the legislation, Belarusian vehicles need to be reregistered in Latvia or taken out of the country by 31 October…
Baltic and US officials held high-level security consultations in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on 12 September 2024, BNS reports. The meeting was attended by Jonatan Vseviov, secretary general of the Estonian Foreign Ministry, Andzejs Vilumsons, state secretary at the Latvian Foreign Ministry, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, and US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell….
Average housing prices in Latvia rose by 1.1% in the second quarter of 2024 from the same period of 2023, according to provisional data from the Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. Prices of new housing increased by 11.4%, whereas the average price of existing housing dropped by 2.0% over a year. Compared to the first…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved in final reading amendments that will allow Lithuania, Estonia, and Finland to store strategic gas reserves at the underground gas storage facility in Incukalns, LSM reports. The three Baltic States have earlier signed solidarity agreements on gas supplies. The amendments will also free the operator of the Incukalns…
The number of job vacancies in the Baltic States rose in Lithuania but fell in Latvia and Estonia in the second quarter of 2024, according to Latvia’s Central Statistical Bureau (CSP), LSM reports. Compared to a year earlier, the number of vacancies increased by 3.3% in Lithuania, but declined by 5.6% in Latvia and 10.6% in…
Latvia’s State Security Service (VDD) has asked the Prosecution Office to charge a non-citizen Latvian resident for planning terrorist attacks in Latvia, LSM reports. VDD’s investigation established that the person supports the ideology of the Islamic State terrorist group. The suspect was arrested in May 2024 after explosives, ammunition, and sulfuric acid were found at…
The Latvian government has extended the enhanced border surveillance regime on the country’s border with Belarus until the end of 2024, LSM reports. Prior to the decision, the regime was set to end on 12 September 2024. The Ministry of Interior said that the reinforced border protection regime ensured the inviolability of the state border…
