Friday—April 15, 2005
A few billion here, a few billion there
For the years 2007-2013, the European Union budget allocates 80 billion kroons (approx. 5 billion euros) of support funds for Estonia.
Women in Latvia have no obstacles in business
150 out of 207 Latvian businesswomen surveyed believe that business in Latvia is not gender-bias. 64.2 percent of Latvia’s businesswomen said it is not harder for women to launch a business than it is for men.
U.S. congressmen wag finger at Russia
Nine U.S. congressmen have submitted a draft resolution urging to the Congress to recognize the fact of the occupation of Latvia, Lithuanian and Estonia. The draft resolution calls on the Russian Federation to issue a clear and unambiguous statement of admission and condemnation of the illegal occupation and annexation by the Soviet Union from 1940 to 1991 of the three Baltic states.
Finnish Post Office signals interest in privatization Lithuanian Post Office
While no plans exist to privatize the Lithuanian Post Office for at least two years, representatives of the Finnish Post said they are interested in the privatization of the Lithuanian mail service or at least a strategic co-operation with it. The Finnish Post currently has a foothold in the Lithuanian market. It controls
Itella, which offers information processing, digital printing, and electronic clearance services.
Thursday—April 7, 2005
Lithuanian lawmakers to continue hunger strike
If health permits, parliamentarians Petras Grazulis and Egidijus Klumbys will continue their hunger strike during the informal meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Vilnius on April 20-21. The two lawmakers went on a hunger strike to protest former KGB reservists refusing to resign from Lithuania state positions. ("Is there anything more discrediting than former KGB reservists serving as foreign minister and chief of the State Security department?" Klumbys asked.)
Mr. Grazulis has not eaten since March 22. Klumbys joined him the following week. Last week, a group of 32 lawmakers called on the two to end their protest.
Preatoni case developments
The Tallinn city court has ordered Ilona Saari be arrested. She is the key witness in the 50 million EEK (3.2 million
EUR) tax fraud case against Italian businessman Ernesto Preatoni. Saari currently lives in Croatia, from which the Estonia prosecutor’s office may seek her deportation. Saari was finance manager of Pro
Kapital, Mr. Preatoni’s real estate firm.
Swedish taxi company opens call center in Riga
The Swedish taxi company Taxi Kuriren will open a call center in Riga this October. Pensioners and disabled persons in Stockholm who order taxis shall have their calls routed through Riga. Staff in Riga will forward the information to taxis in Stockholm.
Average Latvian dies eight years younger than EU counterpart
The average EU citizen lives eight years longer than the average Latvian. In 2003, the government calculates, 150,000 potential years of life were lost in Latvia due to socio-economic conditions and other problems.
Monday—April 4, 2005
Social Democratic Youth Union to protest during Bush’s May visit to Latvia
The group has made it clear it will stage protests during U.S. President George W. Bush’s visit, saying they hope “at least a couple hundred” will participate. The have not yet made it clear what specifically they will be protesting.
Aivars Aksenoks elected Riga mayor
During the first session of the new Riga City Council, deputies elected New Era’s Aivars Aksenoks as the new mayor of Riga. 31 of 60 city deputies voted for
Aksenoks.
Latvia’s ex-PM and dirty land deals
The Latvian press reported that the State Revenue Service, which is probing ex-Prime Minister Einars Repse’s property deals, has discovered counterfeit documents. The documents are supposedly connected to the purchase of a plot of land in Ludza District’s Istra County. The revenue service also alleges that in 2003 Mr. Repse spent LVL 50,000 (approximately 72,000 €) more than he earned. Repse stated only, through his press secretary, that he had replied to all Revenue Service’s questions.
Lithuania “not a country but a crowd of brawlers,” says Russian ambassador
Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas and Economy Minister Viktoras Uspaskikh have declined to comment on the recent remark of Boris
Tsepov, the Russian ambassador to Lithuania who told the daily Respublika that he has the impression that "Lithuania is not a country, but a crowd of brawlers who are fond of denigrating each other."
"He is the Russian Federation's official, not ours, so let Russia assess its own officials. I have no inclination to get involved in those debates, which should not happen between countries with normal relations," PM Brazauskas said.
Adamkus suggests Russian ambassador out of line
President Valdas Adamkus declined to give his opinion about the controversial statement by Boris
Tsepov, the Russian ambassador to Vilnius. Adamkus said only that "the ambassador of any country must observe ethical rules and the point of those rules is respect to the country in which he is accredited."
Estonian government falls: Rüütel vows to find new head of government
After current prime minister Juhan Parts announced his resignation, Estonian President Arnold Rüütel says he will try to find a new government head as soon as possible. The Constitution gives the president two weeks to appoint a new candidate for the prime minister’s post.
Parts announced his decision after the parliament’s no confidence motion against justice minister Ken-Marti Vaher was a success.
Politicians believe the most likely new government will be a “rainbow government,” consisting of parties that signed the no confidence motion against justice minister Ken-Marti
Vaher. Reform Party chairman Andrus Ansip is seen as the likely new prime minister.
Not just money-laundering: Latvia now capital of canned meat fraud
The Latvian Food and Veterinary Service has determined that the company, Trials Ltd., made canned meat for the domestic market but labeled cans for export. The meat was exported to Estonia and other EU countries without a license.
Former Swedish consul assassinated
The charred body of a man thought to be Leif Sixten Annermalm was found by a roadside in the western Lithuania district of
Klaipeda. Police suspect Annermalm was murdered and then burned. Annermalm’s body was identified by his wife, but confirmation by forensic experts is pending.
Annermalm served as honorary Swedish consul to Lithuania in 2000 and was chief executive of Genciu
Nafta, a local oil company. Annermalm was accused of seizing property of the oil company worth one-half million litas (approx. 145,000 euros) and was forced to leave his post as honorary consul. Investigators do not rule out that Annermalm’s death could be connected to the fraud.
