Lithuanian banks and credit institutions paid around EUR 256mn in temporary solidarity tax in 2023, according to the Bank of Lithuania, BNS reported. The central bank estimates that revenue from the solidarity tax could amount to around EUR 190mn in 2024. The government will use the proceeds from the bank tax to pay for military…
Polish farmers are holding a week-long protest at the Lithuanian border, collaborating with authorities to check incoming trucks for Ukrainian grain, BNS reports. While some trucks have been diverted for inspection, most vehicles are being allowed to flow freely and no traffic jams have occurred. The farmers allege that Ukrainian grain is being falsely labelled…
The speakers of the parliaments of the three Baltic States visited Canada and the US to discuss regional security issues and cooperation, BNS reported. They met with with the speaker of Canada’s House of Commons, Greg Fergus, and members of the Canada-Nordic-Baltic Parliamentary Friendship Group. In the US, the Baltic speakers met with the speaker…
Latvia’s Foreign Ministry called on authorities to check whether the top management of major Latvian companies and organisations include any Russian, Belarusian, or other third-country nationals who support Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine and who may have links to Russian state institutions, LETA reported. The ministry insisted that such persons should be subject to EU…
The Baltic banking group, Luminor Bank, posted a pre-tax profit of EUR 273.2mn in 2023, which was up 92% from EUR 142.4mn in 2022, The Baltic Times reported. The Estonia-based group’s annual net profit amounted to EUR 194.7mn, which was up 56% from EUR 124.7mn a year earlier. Luminor attributed the sharp rise in profit…
Estonia and Latvia have joined several other countries in suspending funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), ERR and LETA reported. The move comes after allegations that several members of UNRWA’s staff had taken part in the Hamas terrorist attack against Israel on 7 October 2023. The Estonian and Latvian foreign ministries…
Lithuania and Poland plan to hold joint military exercises in the so-called Suwalki Gap, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda announced, BNS reports. Speaking after a meeting with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Vilnius, Nauseda suggested that the exercise could take place in April 2024. He said that the two countries would undertake joint measures to increase…
The customs authorities of the three Baltic States have agreed on uniform application of EU sanctions against Russia and Belarus, BNS reports. The directors of the Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian customs departments agreed to introduce stricter controls on sanctioned goods exported to or transiting through Russia and Belarus to third countries. The measures include requiring…
Lithuania is holding “intensive and very detailed” talks with Germany’s Rheinmetall on opening a new factory in the country, Economy Minister Ausrine Armonaite announced, BNS reports. Rheinmetall’s top management met with Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte in November 2023. According to 15min, the new factory could produce NATO-standard 155mm artillery shells. Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann have…