“Experimental” bus services between Latvia and Estonia are planned to start in July and will ease the process of crossing the border in both countries for travelers. There will be two routes launching on July 1: Valka-Valga and Ikla-Ainazi-Salacgriva. The project was initiated by Estonia and after a 12-month trial period, the routes would be…
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in a report published on June 3 forecasts that Latvia will experience the weakest economic growth among the Baltic countries in 2024. The OECD projects that Latvia’s gross domestic product (GDP) will grow by only 1.1% this year. In 2025, Latvia’s economy is expected to grow by…
Estonia can help Latvia build its section of the Rail Baltic railway track to make sure the 2030 deadline is met, if necessary, Prime Minister Kristen Michal (Reform) has said. The Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian prime ministers met in Riga on May 30 to discuss regional issues, including the under-construction train line which crosses all…
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will jointly apply for more funding from the European Union to cover the rapidly rising costs of the Rail Baltic line. The three countries’ transport ministries signed a joint statement in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, on May 27. Estonia was represented by Minister of Infrastructure Kuldar Leis (Reform). The ministers plan to…
The European Commission (EC) forecasts that Latvia will experience the weakest economic growth among the Baltic States this year. According to the EC’s latest economic forecasts, Latvia’s gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow by just 0.5% in 2025. This is a downward revision from the 1% growth projected in November. At the same…
During the past week, fuel prices across the Baltic capitals moved in different directions. In Riga, prices fell noticeably, while Tallinn saw increases, and in Vilnius, only petrol prices changed. At the end of the workweek, Tallinn recorded the highest petrol prices, followed by Riga and Vilnius. On the other hand, Vilnius had the most…
If the full Rail Baltica line is not completed until 2030, financial sanctions will be imposed on all three participating Baltic States – Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia – according to discussions this week in Estonia’s Anti-Corruption Committee, as reported by Estonian public broadcaster ERR. Latvia’s Ministry of Transport confirmed this information. Amid rising concerns that…