Lithuania: politicians call for language tests for foreign workers

Lithuanian politicians have proposed harmonising language requirements for all foreigners working in the country’s service sector. Currently, only those with employment contracts must take the Lithuanian language exam. But self-employed foreigners say the exam is unnecessary and would be hard to pass for some. Beardland, a barbershop in Vilnius, employs only foreigners. None of them…

Georgia: external debt to decrease

The Georgian government has plans to decrease the country’s external debt to 51.1% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) next year, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has announced. Georgia’s external debt amounted to 58.66% of GDP in 2020, nearly 29.3 billion GEL, which increased to a critical 60% of GDP this year. Garibashvili said that Georgia…

Uzbekistan: home appliance manufacturer Artel joins United Nations Global Compact

Last week, Artel Electronics LLC (Artel), Central Asia’s largest home appliance and electronics manufacturer, became an official participant of the United Nation Global Compact (UNGC). Launched in 2000, the UNGC is a voluntary leadership platform for the development, implementation, and disclosure of responsible business practices. Artel becomes Uzbekistan’s third company to participate. Artel joins over…