Latvia’s Riga City Council has appointed Vilnis Kirsis (New Unity) as acting mayor, following the resignation of mayor Martins Stakis, The Baltic Times reports. Meanwhile, city councillor Miroslavs Kodis said that the political group of Movement For and Progressives was considering proposing deputy mayor Linda Ozola of the Code for Riga party as acting mayor…
Lithuania’s government has approved an Indo-Pacific strategy to strengthen relations with partner countries in the East Asia region, The Baltic Times reports. The Foreign Ministry said that strategy outlined Lithuania’s key interests and priority areas in the region, with a focus on enhancing the country’s security and economic prosperity. The document recognises the increasing strategic…
Estonian shipping company Tallink Grupp carried a total of 1,541,081 passengers in the second quarter of 2023, which was down 0.7% from 1,552,174 in the same period of 2022, The Baltic Times reports. The drop was mostly due to the fact that the company has chartered out 7 of its 15 vessels. Tallink transported 85,359…
The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has begun discussing a proposal from the parliamentary speaker, Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, to seek the Constitutional Court’s opinion on the compatibility of the Istanbul Convention with the country’s Constitution, BNS reports. The corresponding draft resolution passed the first reading in parliament. The final vote on the resolution will take place in…
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said that there was no need to impose identical restrictions on Russians and Belarusians in response to the possible relocation of Russian mercenary group Wagner Group to Belarus, BNS reports. Earlier, President Gitanas Nauseda criticised the decision of the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, to override his veto and approve different…
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…
The first group of children from the Ukrainian town of Bucha, a scene of Russian war crimes, has arrived in Lithuania’s seaside resort of Palanga for summer vacation, The Baltic Times reports. Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte and Palanga mayor Sarunas Vaitkus welcomed the children and their accompanying adults. Simonyte wished the children "warm memories,…
More than 5,000 people took part in the Vilnius Pride march in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on 1 July 2023, The Baltic Times reports. March participants deplored Lithuania’s slow progress in ensuring the rights of sexual minorities. Ajus Jurgaitis, co-founder of the Trans Autonomija association and one of the organisers of the march, expressed hope…