Most Latvians think that the quality of life in Latvia became worse in 2024, according to a new SKDS poll for LTV, LSM reports. The survey showed that 30.3% of Latvian residents believed that the quality of life deteriorated slightly in 2024, while 11.7% said that the quality of life worsened significantly compared to 2023….
Latvia’s national air carrier, airBaltic, will cancel altogether 4,670 flights in summer 2025, LSM reports. The company will suspend flights on 19 routes and cut the number of flights on 21 routes. The cancellations will affect around 67,160 passengers. The company said that US manufacturer Pratt & Whitney’s engine maintenance work on the airline’s Airbus…
The passenger train operators of the three Baltic states will begin coordinating their timetables to enable a smooth connection between the Baltic capitals, LSM reports. Estonia’s Elron, Latvia’s Vivi, and Lithuania’s LTG Link plan to align the timetables as of 6 January 2025. Transfer times at Valga and Riga will be around 10-20 minutes. The…
British air carrier and tour operator Jet2 will offer direct flights from Birmingham, Manchester, and Edinburgh to the Estonian capital, Tallinn, in November and December 2025, ERR reports. The company will have two flights per week on the routes, expecting to bring altogether more than 4,000 holiday-makers to Tallinn. Meanwhile, Swiss International Air Lines will…
Latvian ministers informally discussed the possibility of cancelling the Rail Baltica railway project but decided against such a move, Prime Minister Evika Silina revealed, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Silina said that the government concluded that abandoning the project would result in a significant loss of invested resources. Moreover, the project will…
The first ship carrying Latvia’s strategic oil reserves arrived at the Freeport of Riga on 2 December 2024, the Ministry of Economy announced, LETA reports. Economy Minister Viktors Valainis said that the state would purchase 20% of the required reserves annually. The state would thus be in possession of 100% of the oil reserves in…
Baltic and Canadian foreign ministers met in the Latvian capital, Riga, on 2 December 2024, European Interest reported. The ministers discussed transatlantic relations as well as regional and global security and cooperation. Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze stressed that containing Russia and providing strong support to Ukraine were essential for the long-term interests of transatlantic…
Several well-known politicians in Latvia were employed as fake consultants by Riga’s municipal public transport company, Rigas Satiksme, according to LTV’s De Facto programme, LETA reports. A court in Riga has accepted Rigas Satiksme’s plea deal, which identifies 16 fictional consultants, including several members of the company’s board and municipal councillors. Some of them represent…
Canada’s Foreign Minister, Mélanie Joly, is visiting Latvia on 1-4 December 2024 to attend the second 3+1 meeting of Baltic and Canadian foreign ministers, Global Affairs Canada announced. The ministers will discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, NATO’s deterrence and defence posture in Eastern Europe, and other regional and global challenges to peace and security. Joly…