Baltic States
EU urgently working on a bridge loan for Ukraine if Reparation Loans deal fails
The ongoing discussions on a possible US sponsored peace deal to end the Ukraine war has put fresh pressure on the EU to come up with a solution to Ukraine’s acute funding shortfall.
Latvia’s TestDevLab sold to global technology company Xoriant
Deal to give access to Xoriant sales network and multinational client base, allowing TestDevLab to scale far beyond what was possible as an independent Baltic company.
COMMENT: Is the EU deliberately trying to scupper the US peace plan or is it just incompetent?
After the talks in Geneva the 28-point peace plan (28PPP) has been cut to 19 points. But the EU has come up with its own 24-point plan that contains several points that guarantee the Kremlin will reject it.
EU-Mercosur trade pact faces dual threat from Paris and internal rifts
The long-negotiated EU-Mercosur trade agreement is set to enter a decisive phase amid French opposition and broader tensions within the South American bloc.
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US to present a 28-point ceasefire plan to Ukraine as a fait accompli
A new US 28-point plan to end the war in Ukraine suddenly burst on to the scene on November 20, as the White House hopes to use the growing pressure on Ukraine to force terms on Kyiv as soon as this week.
Lithuanian law enforcement cracks down on Belarus’ smuggling balloon network
Lithuania views the balloon-borne smuggling from Belarus as part of the country’s hybrid war.
Lithuania set to roll out a nationwide network of 44 cybersecurity operations centres
Officials say the scheme will help strengthen cybersecurity across the public sector by improving detection, logging and response to attacks.
Belarus' Lukashenko threatens to seize Lithuania’s stranded lorries
Worst case scenario puts losses to Lithuania’s transport sector at around €1bn after hundreds of lorries trapped in Belarus by border closure.
Riga Airport becomes the first climate-neutral airport in the Baltics
The airport has implemented a range of initiatives to improve energy efficiency, adopt renewable energy sources and promote sustainable transport across its operations.
Ukraine gets a B grade from EU: good, but more work needed
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected a two-tier solution proposed by Brussels to accelerate Ukraine’s EU accession bid, after the European Commission (EC) released a progress report on November 4.
Emerging Asia overtakes the UK per-capita benchmark
For the first time since the Industrial Revolution, the major emerging economies including China, India and Indonesia have seen GDP as a percentage of the UK’s GDP increase as the leading BRICS countries start to overtake the Developed Markets.
CEE needs a new growth model as FDI plunges
wiiw economist Richard Grieveson says the CEE region’s long-standing model of attracting FDI through low labour costs no longer works.
Estonia has the world’s most competitive tax systems for the 11th year in a row – STATISTA
The Tax Foundation has released its International Tax Competitiveness Index which highlights the most competitive tax rates in different countries around the world. For the 11th consecutive year, Estonia had the highest score in the index.
EU rare earth supply dominated by China and Russia - Eurostat
The European Union remains heavily dependent on China and Russia for rare earth imports, with nearly three-quarters of its supply sourced from the two countries in 2024, according to data published by Eurostat and reported by Statista.
COMMENT: Europe’s “fake it till you make it” war approach cannot hold off Russia’s trillion dollar war machine
In their speeches on the war in Ukraine, European leaders appear like a video clip looped on repeat. Standing before the cameras they declare new packages of support for Kyiv and threaten new measures to pressure Russia as if it was still 2022.
Draghi urges ‘pragmatic federalism’ as EU faces defeat in Ukraine and economic crises
The European Union must embrace “pragmatic federalism” to respond to mounting global and internal challenges, said former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi of Europe’s failure to face an accelerating slide into irrelevance.
Emerging Europe’s growth holds up but risks loom, says wiiw
Fiscal fragility, weakening industrial demand from Germany, and the prolonged fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine threaten to undermine growth momentum in parts of the region.
Smuggler balloons from Belarus disrupt flights for 4,000 passengers at Vilnius Airport
Lithuanian officials have accused Belarus of sending balloons across the border to transport contraband goods or disrupt air traffic near Vilnius.
Germany slowdown weighs on Lithuania’s export-driven manufacturing sector
Lithuania’s economy remains highly sensitive to the industrial cycle in Germany, its third largest trade partner.
Latvian fintech Eleving Group raises €275mn in oversubscribed bond issue
Proceeds to be used to refinance €150mn in existing bonds and to expand Eleving's loan portfolio.