Joint policy coordination among the three Baltic States was crucial in the current geopolitical situation, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics stated, LETA reports. Speaking during an official visit to Lithuania, Rinkevics noted that Latvia and Lithuania shared common interests in terms of EU and NATO policy, strengthening security and defence capabilities, ensuring energy security and independence,…
As many as 90% of cars used in Estonia are either petrol or diesel cars, according to a survey commissioned by insurance firm If Kindlustus, ERR reports. Meanwhile, 10% of cars have other types of engine, mostly hybdrid or gas-powered. Only 1% of respondents drive electric cars. The survey showed that 25% of respondents would…
Sanctioned luxury cars are being shipped from EU countries to Russia via Lithuania, LRT’s investigation revealed. The luxury cars are usually purchased in Denmark or Germany and then transported to Russia via Lithuania and Belarus. Russian car dealers are openly advertising the transit route via Lithuania and Belarus. In 2022, the EU banned the sale…
The cargo turnover of Latvia’s sea ports totalled 3.4mn tonnes in the first half of 2023, which was 14.2% less than in the same period of 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Transport, Baltic News Network reports. The Freeport of Riga handled 9.6mn tonnes of freight, followed by the Freeport of Ventspils with…
Lithuania’s Klaipeda State Seaport could ship around 10 million tonnes of Ukrainian grain per year, CEO Algis Latakas announced, BNS reports. However, the logistics of transporting the grain to the port remained complicated, he noted. If the issue of logistics was solved, the port could begin handling Ukrainian grain today, Latakas stated. Earlier, Transport Minister…
Trains from Latvia’s capital, Riga, to the port city of Liepaja will begin running daily as of 31 July 2023, the Public Transport Council announced, LSM reports. The train will leave from Liepaja shortly before 5am and depart back to Liepaja at around 6:30pm. On Sundays, there will be two trains between the two cities….
The Conservative People’s Party of Estonia (EKRE) has no intention to make any concessions and will continue to obstruct the current coalition government’s work in the parliament, the Riigikogu, in autumn 2023, EKRE chairman Martin Helme stated, ERR reports. Earlier, the coalition suggested that opposition parties withdraw questions and legislative proposals so as not to…
Average consumer prices in Latvia rose by 7.9% in June 2023, compared to the same period of 2022, according to data from the Central Statistical Bureau, LSM reports. The annual change in prices was mainly influenced by the rise in the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages and of goods and services related to housing,…
Latvia’s new president, former foreign minister Edgars Rinkevics, made his first official visit abroad to Estonia on 10 July 2023, ERR reports. He met with Estonian President Alar Karis, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, and other officials in Tallinn. They discussed bilateral cooperation, regional cooperation projects, continued support for Ukraine, and the NATO summit in Vilnius….