US congressmen Donald Bacon of Nebraska and Salud Carbajal of California have visited the Baltic States, LSM reports. In Latvia, the two members of the US House of Representatives met with Prime Minister Evika Silina, Foreign Minister Baiba Braze, and Defence Minister Andris Spruds to discuss political, economic, and defence cooperation, the NATO summit in…
Latvian MEP Roberts Zile has been reelected one of the 14 vice-presidents of the European Parliament, LSM reports. He is the only Baltic MEP elected to the post so far. Zile is a member of the opposition National Alliance, which is a member of the European Conservatives and Reformists group. He has served as MEP…
Estonia has implemented an EU-wide ban on the entry of vehicles registered in Belarus, ERR reports. The new restriction does not apply in humanitarian cases and to cars with diplomatic licence plates. Latvia and Lithuania are implementing similar bans. Estonia’s Foreign Minister, Margus Tsahkna, noted that the Belarusian regime was directly contributing to Russia’s war…
The Baltic States, along with Nordic EU countries and Poland, will not send any ministers to Hungary during the country’s EU presidency, LETA reports. The move is in response to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to Russia. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda will coordinate with other EU leaders on whether to attend a European Council…
Vehicles registered in Belarus are banned from entering Latvia as of 16 July 2024, the State Revenue Service (VID) announced, LSM reports. The ban applies to automotive vehicles as well as trailers and semi-trailers. Vehicles registered in Belarus that are already in Latvia will have to be reregistered. Non-compliant vehicles can be confiscated and transferred…
The Baltic power transmission system operators (TSOs) have notified Russia and Belarus of their intention to decouple from the Russian-controlled IPS/UPS electricity system in February 2025, ERR reports. Estonia’s Elering, Latvia’s Augstsprieguma Tikls (AST), and Lithuania’s Litgrid informed the Russian and Belarusian TSOs that they would not extend the BRELL parallel energy system operation agreement….
A public petition in Latvia is collecting signatures for a ban on the Chinese social media network, TikTok, LSM reports. The author of the initiative, Arturs Babuskins, stated that the social media application was used to “glorify Russian crimes, incite hatred, and divide society.” Moreover, the petition cites data security concerns. Public petitions need at…
The Baltic power transmission system operators (TSO) will notify Russia and Belarus about their decision to withdraw from the so-called BRELL agreement and the Moscow-controlled IPS/UPS transmission system in the coming weeks, Lithuania’s Ministry of Energy announced, BNS reports. The Baltic TSOs are fully ready to synchronise their power grids with the continental European system…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has formally proposed that the parliament, the Seimas, denounce the Convention on Cluster Munitions, BNS reports. The Office of the President argued that current international legal restrictions limited Lithuania’s defence capabilities and reduced the effectiveness of deterrence. Lithuania and Norway are the only NATO member states sharing a border with Russia…