International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analyticsThursday, 02.09.2010, 22:51
Lithuania supports Georgia’s euro-integration and is ready to share experience
02.09.2010President of the Republic of Lithuania Dalia Grybauskaitė met with Georgian Prime Minister Nikoloz Gilauri, who is visiting Lithuania, informed BC presidential press service.
Keyword tags: Baltic States – CIS, EU – Baltic States, EU – CIS, Integration, Lithuania
Largest pipelay vessel starts laying Nord Stream in the Gulf of Finland
02.09.2010Allseas’ Solitaire, the world’s largest pipelay vessel, has started to lay the Gulf of Finland section of the 1,224 kilometre Nord Stream natural gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea. Nord Stream’s Deputy Director Construction Ruurd Hoekstra and Leo D. Varkevisser, Allseas’ Vice President Projects and Operations, arrived on board the Solitaire to confirm that everything is on schedule and “all systems go” for the start of construction. Before starting its journey to Russian waters, the Solitaire was adapted to Nord Stream’s requirements in Rotterdam, where each piece of equipment was thoroughly tested in port.
Estonian MFA found no evidence of its former diplomat having unlawfully issued visas
02.09.2010Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs completed on Wednesday the internal investigation on former charge d’affaires in Belarus Harry Lahtein and found no confirmation to allegations as if he had unlawfully issued visas, writes LETA/Postimees Online.
Import of timber from Russia to Estonia has fallen 70 times
01.09.2010Due to export tariffs levied by Russia and railway transport problems in the Eastern direction, the import of round timber from Russia to Estonia has fallen by 70 times in recent years, LETA/Postimees Online reports.
Israel and Estonia develop IT cooperation
31.08.2010Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said at a meeting with Israeli Minister of Improvement of Government Services Michael Eitan that Estonia is ready to pursue closer IT cooperation with Israel, the government’s press service reports.
Liepajas papirs to open new paper mill in Belarus in 2011
The joint-stock paper producer Liepajas papirs will open a new paper mill in Belarus at the beginning of 2011, to which part of the company's facilities in Liepaja will be moved, writes LETA referring to newspaper "Telegraf".
Latvijas Gaze and Gazprom could reach agreement on lower gas price in November
The joint-stock gas utility Latvijas Gaze (LG) and Russia's Gazprom could sign an agreement on new gas pricing principles in November 2010, LG press secretary Vinsents Makaris told the business portal Nozare.lv.
Tanker with Venezuelan oil for Belarus comes to Klaipeda
On August, 29 during the night the tanker carrying test batch of Venezuelan oil for Belarus approached Lithuania, Charter 97 reports.
Estonian businessman Teder opens the biggest shopping centre in Ukraine
Estonian businessman Hillar Teder opened on Friday festively Ukraine’s largest shopping centre Dneprovskaja Pristan ZAO in central Kiev, LETA/Postimees Online reports.
Lithuania moving away from Gazprom to Poland
Lithuanian energy minister said that diversification of the gas market in Lithuania will eliminate the need for ties to the Russian energy sector by 2020, news agency UPI reports.
Foreign Ministers in Riga called for greater integration of Baltic and Nordic coutries
On 27 August at the meeting of foreign ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland (NB8) in Riga, head of Lithuania’s diplomacy called on the Nordic and Baltic States for greater integration, reported BC press service of Lithuanian Foreign Ministry.
Parex bank's minority shareholders to dispute the sale of Parex lizings in court
Joint-stock Parex banka’s minority shareholders – investment funds "Firebird Republics SPV", "Amber Trust" and "DCF Fund", have sent a request to the bank's council yesterday to begin legal proceedings against the bank's board in regard to the sale of one of its subsidiary companies in Belarus – Parex lizings.
Lithuania expects diversified gas market by 2020
The Lithuanian authorities intend to create a diversified gas market in the country by 2020, which would eliminate Russia's monopoly on gas supplies to the Baltic state, Lithuania's Energy Minister Arvydas Sekmokas says.
Belarus finds it expedient to use ports in Baltic States and Ukraine for oil imports
The Council of Ministers has adopted the Strategy for the Development of the Energy Potential of the Republic of Belarus for the period until the end of 2020, which says that experts have found it expedient to use the Ukrainian ports of Odessa and Yuzhne, the Latvian port of Ventspils and Estonia's Tallinn as transshipment points for oil deliveries from Venezuela, Azerbaijan and Persian Gulf countries, the Belarusian news agency BelaPAN reports.
Ventspils Freeport: reducing cargo volumes are due to Russia's political decisions
Decreasing cargo turnover volumes at the Port of Ventspils the past several years is a result of Russia's political decisions, said Freeport of Ventspils board member, Ventspils Deputy Mayor Didzis Osenieks (For Latvia And Ventspils).
Updating the Nordic-Baltic cooperation 
