International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analyticsFriday, 12.03.2010, 17:22
News Corp leaves Central and East European region by selling its stakes in LNT and TV5
12.03.2010With the sale of its stakes in the Latvian TV stations LNT and TV5, U.S. media magnate Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation has left the Central and East European region, as the British media news portal Broadband TV News reports.
Keyword tags: EU – Baltic States, Latvia, Legislation, Markets and Companies, Telecomunications
Businessmen political party to be established at end-March in Latvia
12.03.2010A group of little-known businessmen, who deny any connection with Riga Deputy Mayor Ainars Slesers (Latvia's First Party/Latvia's Way), has decided to establish a new political force on March 27, called Latvia – Presidential State, as the newspaper Diena writes today.
Price of gas for Estonian household consumers to increase by 18% from May
12.03.2010From May 1, 2010, AS Eesti Gaas will raise the price of natural gas sold to household customers by an average of 18%, writes LETA/Postimees Online. Gas used for heating will become relatively more expensive.
The Year of Dombrovskis’ Government: the most critical in the past, the most significant – in future
12.03.2010The Cabinet of Ministers headed by Valdis Dombrovskis was approved by Saeima’s vote on March 12, 2009 in circumstances when the economic crisis and insolvency of the country had become a reality. ”The Government has accomplished its most important tasks – prevented insolvency of the country, overcame the most critical point of economic crisis, and stabilized the financial and economic system, which is a necessary basis for further work on increasing the national competitiveness and restoring economic activity. This difficult task was achieved without very serious social tensions, although not without serious decisions in the social sector”, acknowledges V.Dombrovskis speaking about the year of work of the Cabinet of Ministers.
First waste-to-energy plant in the Baltics to be completed in 2012 in Estonia
12.03.2010In accordance with the construction contract signed on March 11 by Estonian energy company Eesti Energia and industrial solutions provider Constructions Industrielles De La Mediterranee (CNIM), the first waste-to-energy (WTE) unit in the Baltic States will be completed in 2012, Eesti Energia reports. Construction of the new energy unit, to be established as an expansion of the existing Iru power plant, will begin in summer 2010.
Ansip: if we were not raise the pension age, pensions would decrease
Estonia’s Prime Minister Andrus Ansip noted at the Government press conference on Thursday that raising of the pension age is inevitable if we want to avoid a decrease in pensions, writes LETA/Postimees Online.
Tourism in the European Union: good prospects for 2010
In the new Treaty of Lisbon (2009), for the first time in Union’s history, the tourism sector was mentioned as a sphere, where the Union should complement the member states’ actions. This is a clear sign of importance attached to the sector by the EU institutions and the member states. Tourism sector is generally regarded as one of the most important “industries” in the Baltic States.
Adoption of the euro will require that Estonia changes more than half of its laws
In connection with the adoption of the euro, 236 out of 418 laws currently in effect in Estonia will have to be changed, noted Prime Minister Andrus Ansip at the Government press conference, writes LETA/Postimees Online.
Rigas miesnieks to acquire controlling interest in competitor Jelgavas galas kombinats
The meat processing company Rigas miesnieks is to acquire a controlling interest in its competitor Jelgavas galas kombinats. Rigas miesnieks, which belongs to the HKScan concern, is planning to acquire 90.85% of shares in Jelgavas galas kombinats from Masa capital partners, Sidrabene and UPCF.
Tallinna Vesi operating profit increased by 9.8% in 2009
Water supply and wastewater collection and treatment services enterprise Tallinna Vesi in 2009 earned operating profit from water and wastewater related in amount of 414.4 million kroons activities which is 9.8% more, year-on-year. The company's operating profits from other activities increased by 70.2% and totaled 47.5 million kroons.
Tallinn hospital spends 450 mln kroons without tendering
Estonian State Audit Office revealed that East Tallinn Central Hospital has made a purchase of services valued at 450 million kroons without organising a public tender, LETA/BBN reports.
Slesers: many employers and business-people will enter politics in Latvia
A completely new movement has begun in Latvian politics, and new people will soon come into the fold. If the People's Party and Latvia's First Party/Latvia's Way (LPP/LC) can become part of this movement, we will be able to speak about the possibility of working together in the fall Saeima elections, said Riga Deputy Mayor and LPP/LC leader Ainars Slesers in an interview on Latvian State Radio this morning.
Estonian PM Ansip recognised Latvian government for their structural reforms
During the meeting with Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Maris Riekstins on Wednesday, Estonia's Prime Minister Andrus Ansip stated that the Latvian government has done a very good job in implementing structural reforms, writes LETA/Postimees Online.
Funding agreement for TEC-2 development in Riga signed
Energy company Latvenergo and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have signed a credit agreement on funding for the second stage of the Riga TEC-2 heating and power station reconstruction project.
Bigbank expanded its management board to 5 members
The supervisory board of Bigbank decided to expand the composition of the bank’s management board to five members, writes LETA/Postimees Online. The bank appointed FCO of Bigbank Group Ruslan Mahhov as the newest member of the management board.
Closer cooperation model for the Baltics and the EU 
