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Estonian Review 1 - 7 April 2009
09.04.2009
FOREIGN NEWS
DEFENCE NEWS
ECONOMIC NEWS
FOREIGN NEWS
President Ilves Met with Latvian Head of State
7 April - Today in Kadriorg, President Toomas Hendrik Ilves and Evelin Ilves received Latvian Head of State Valdis Zatlers and Lilita Zatlere, who arrived in Estonia on a state visit.
Your state visit symbolises the close political relations between two neighbouring countries - Estonia and Latvia - and the frequent communications between our peoples, said President Ilves.
In the fall of last year, a third of Estonia's direct foreign investments were directed toward Latvia, and Latvia is the most popular target country for the investment of Estonian capital. Thus, more than 1 000 companies with participation by Estonian capital are registered in Latvia.
The idea of joint diplomatic foreign missions is becoming a reality. Next year, Estonia will have diplomatic offices in the Latvian Embassy in Cairo.
Heads of State Ilves and Zatlers recognised that relations between Estonia and Latvia and the continual co-operation between the two countries have never been closer or more efficient. This co-operation covers many areas of activity, from military projects to cultural exchange.
Estonia and Latvia are good allies and firm partners with many common interests and overlapping foreign policy positions. Currently, our common goal is to help our countries recover from the general economic crisis that has hit Estonia and Latvia hard, said President Ilves. This also entails restoring our peoples' trust in their governments and strengthening international confidence in the Baltic region.
At the meeting, Heads of State Ilves and Zatlers stressed that comprehensive international co-operation is needed in order to restore the trustworthiness of the global financial sector and to guarantee its normal functioning. This is how the current crisis can be overcome and future crises avoided.
We support giving the IMF a greater role in global problems, said President Ilves. We also support having the supervision of the Estonian financial sector, as well as systematic risk assessment and prevention, brought under the management of the European Central Bank. This would be an important step in reforming Europe's financial monitoring.
President Ilves confirmed to the Latvian head of state that the Estonian government wishes to fulfil the Maastricht criteria and accede to the Euro zone as soon as possible.
In the current complicated economic situation, adopting the euro is extremely important for the development of the country and for increasing confidence among international investors, said the Estonian head of state.
Speaking about the Eastern Partnership initiative started by the European Commission, Presidents Ilves stated, Success will only be achieved by positively disposed participants. Therefore, the opportunities offered by the Eastern Partnership must be explained to the target countries. This means European Union support, association treaties, mutual economic integration, visa waivers, as well as substantive co-operation in the fields of energy and transport, said President Ilves.
Presidents Ilves and Zatlers felt that the dialogue between the European Union and Russia is important, but that it should not damage the Community's own values and their strengthening internationally. Estonia hopes that the negotiations for a new treaty between the European Union and Russia will be constructive. The result should be an all-encompassing and legally binding treaty with the greatest emphasis on commercial matters, said President Ilves.
The Estonian and Latvian heads of state also spoke about energy security in the Baltic region, which can be guaranteed by establishing missing energy connections and creating a common Nordic-Baltic electricity market.
Uniform rules are needed for regulating electricity imports from third countries to create and guarantee a transparent Nordic-Baltic electricity market with equal opportunities, added the Estonian Head of State. This is necessary in order to guarantee honest competition and limit the competitive advantages of producers not bound by European Union regulations.
Tonight, President Ilves will host a dinner in honour of the Latvian Head of State. Tomorrow they will open an Estonian-Latvian business seminar.
Estonia Prepared to Increase Contribution to Afghanistan
4 April - At the summit meeting celebrating NATO's 60th anniversary in Strasbourg, the allies recognised that one of the most important tasks of NATO in Afghanistan is to reach a sufficient level of security and build up the state. Prime Minister Andrus Ansip declared in his speech that Estonia is ready to send additional forces to Afghanistan in order to achieve this objective. Our first contribution will be to send an additional unit to Afghanistan, to guarantee security in Afghanistan in co-operation with our NATO partners, said Ansip.
In the long run, Estonia will use the training unit to contribute to increasing the capabilities of the military of Afghanistan. At the same time, Estonia intends to increase civil aid and improve the forces in the police mission in Europe, said Ansip.
It was recognised at the summit meeting of NATO that in order to be successful, co-operation has to be enhanced and realistic and achievable objectives for the mission have to be set. It is important to the allies that Afghanistan assumes grater responsibility for solving its own problems. At the same time, we must encourage Afghanistan's desire and will to seek solutions and be responsible for the development of their own country. Estonia believes that Afghanistan should become a country whose actions do not facilitate international terrorism, and from the territory of which terrorist attacks against other countries do not originate.
The Declaration on Alliance Security was passed at the summit meeting. The Declaration assigned member states the task of compiling a new strategic concept for NATO by the next summit meeting in 2010.
The concept must provide instructions on how to secure an efficiently acting, unified and trustworthy alliance, which meets the requirements of both present and future security challenges. In connection with that, the main task of NATO in the future will continue to be collective defence, and Article 5 the characteristic feature of the solidarity of the alliance, said Defence Minister Jaak Aaviksoo. The defence ministers of NATO member states also discussed the influence of the global recession on the transformation process of NATO. According to Defence Minister Jaak Aaviksoo, economic difficulties should never be so great as to result in attention being diverted away from national security.
Budget cuts should not have any influence on the common projects of member states or their contribution to foreign operations. Despite the difficult times, we must continue moving towards the defence costs that were set together, said Aaviksoo.
At the summit meeting, new NATO member states - the Republic of Croatia and Albania - were festively welcomed into the alliance. According to Minister of Foreign Affairs Urmas Paet, Estonia is a continuous supporter of NATO's open-door policy. Expansion has increased the zone of democratic values and stability in Europe, said Paet. I am glad that during the summit meeting the course to openness was renewed and the future membership of Ukraine and Georgia, as decided at the Bucharest summit, was confirmed, added Paet.
Andres Fogh Rasmussen, the Danish prime minister, was elected as the new Secretary General at the NATO summit.
Balkan NATO Membership Increases Security for All Europe
4 April - Foreign Minister Urmas Paet participated in the meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Baden-Baden, which took place within the framework of the NATO anniversary summit. The foreign ministers addressed NATO's role in a changing security situation and discussed the situation in the Western Balkans.
The NATO foreign ministers emphasised that NATO continues to play an irreplaceable role in guaranteeing the security of it allies and close transatlantic co-operation, as well as ensuring the stability of international relations. For Estonia, it is important first and foremost that NATO is prepared to support its allies, including Estonia, with decisive intimidation and defence. Collective defence is NATO's primary function, and it must be visible and perceptible both within and outside the alliance, confirmed Foreign Minister Paet.
The foreign ministers stressed that the stability of the Balkan region is extremely important for the security of all of Europe and that NATO's open-door policy should remain in effect for south-east Europe, since it would give a strong push for the nations in that region to implement reforms. Foreign Minister Paet stated that NATO's open-door policy significantly increases stability and security in the Western Balkans. Albania and Croatia have just joined NATO, and Macedonia is waiting. It would be positive if NATO enabled Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina to take steps closer to the alliance sooner rather than later, Paet added.
The foreign minister stressed that the Western Balkan nations aspiring to join NATO have a strong desire to contribute to Euro-atlantic integration. Paet also stated that Serbia should be included more, as it has shown a clear political desire for European integration.
Minister Paet also confirmed that NATO's Kosovo mission must continue its activities. It is essential to support the endeavours of Kosovo's government to actively involve locals Serbs in the Kosovo Security Forces (KSF), because this is the best opportunity to establish social reconciliation and integration in this young nation, he said. Paet added that Kosovo's economy does still require the support of international financial organisations.
Prime Minister Ansip Attended Meeting of EU and USA in Prague
5 April - At an informal meeting between the heads of state and government of the European Union and President of the United States Barack Obama held in Prague, the parties acknowledged the necessity for a strong transatlantic partnership based on common values and principles.
Today's meeting confirmed that in order to meet the challenges we are facing, we need strong co-operation between the European Union and the USA. Acting together, we are stronger than one country could be solving problems alone, Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said.
According to him, it was confirmed today that the European Union and the USA foresee similar solutions for several key issues that need to be addressed immediately. To achieve success, the USA needs the support of the European Union and vice versa - the European Union needs the partnership of the USA, Ansip added.
Prime Minister of Estonia Andrus Ansip made an introduction to the discussion on climate change on behalf of the European Union. In his speech, Ansip stressed that the European Union has set ambitious challenges for itself and is striving to fulfil them, notwithstanding the economic difficulties.
We believe that a wider use of green technologies may positively influence the economy of our countries. This will bring along new developments in industry and will thus create new jobs, Ansip said. He stated that the economic crisis has increased the need for climate agreements.
No country can achieve results in this field alone. However, each and every country will pay for it if we fail in what we do, added Ansip, who finds small countries especially vulnerable to global influences. According to Ansip, the efforts of the European Union and the USA alone will not be sufficient to achieve the desired goal. China and India, with their rising economies, should also be involved, he added.
The fight against climate change is closely connected to the development of alternative energy sources, the effective use of energy and the existence of trustworthy and versatile energy providers.
The heads of state and government of the European Union will continue discussions with the President of the USA at the EU-USA summit in June.
Paet: Tight EU-USA Relations More Important Than Ever Before
5 April - Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that the new administration stepping into office in the USA created an opportunity to give a new push to the development of EU-USA relations. The development of EU-USA co-operation and strong relations are more important now than ever before, Paet noted.
The foreign ministers of the European Union and the United States, during their meeting today in Prague, strongly condemned North Korea's missile experiments and long-range rocket testing as these activities violate UN resolutions. In the situation that the international community still has questions about the spread of nuclear weapons in North Korea, today's rocket launch is a step towards deepening the mistrust, acknowledged Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet.
Urmas Paet noted that the leaders of the European Union and the United States made a unified call to North Korea to honour UN resolutions and to work in the name of peace and understanding in north-east Asia, and also to adhere to the six-party declaration on limiting nuclear weapons concluded on 19 September 2005 between China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea, the USA and Russia.
The European Union and United States foreign ministers also addressed the potential for moving forward in the Middle East peace process and achieving a common goal in Afghanistan. If the presidential election occurring in August of this year is implemented in a free, honest and transparent way, the conditions will be set for achieving further developments in Afghanistan, the foreign ministers emphasised.
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that one prerequisite for achieving the end goals desired in Afghanistan is effective EU-USA co-operation. Co-operation should be used both to ensure the smooth implementation of the upcoming presidential election as well as to co-ordinate more clearly than before the reconstruction of Afghanistan; we also must support the co-ordination efforts of UN Special Representative Kai Eide, Paet said during his speech. The greater co-ordination of the activities of international forces must include co-operation with the authorities in Afghanistan and Pakistan, so that lasting results can be reached in the entire region, Paet added.
Paet brought up Estonia's serious involvement in the preparations for the Afghanistan election. Estonia has given financial support to Afghanistan for making election preparations. At the NATO summit, we confirmed our readiness to send an extra unit to Afghanistan, so that in co-operation with our NATO partners we can help to ensure security during the election, Paet noted.
Estonian and Latvian Prime Ministers Discuss Economic Situation, NATO
2 April - At the meeting held between Prime Minister Andrus Ansip and his Latvian counterpart Valdis Dombrovskis, the focus was on the forthcoming NATO summit and the economic crisis.
Prime Minister Ansip noted that for Estonia, the best method for overcoming the economic recession is to adopt the euro. We cannot over-dramatise the economic depression in the countries where, in earlier years, economic growth was faster than the average, said the prime minister. However, he stressed that in the conditions of the economic crisis, the operative functioning of the state is very important. The country must bring budget revenue into conformity with expenses and the speed of operation is of crucial importance in this, Ansip stressed.
Prime Minister Dombrovskis recognised the actions of the Estonian government in earlier years, when the government was able to collect considerable reserves.
When speaking about the NATO summit, both parties noted that the message of the summit about the unity of the organisation is important for both Estonia and Latvia.
NATO is based on common values, but in addition to new challenges, the NATO common defence principle will still remain the most important, Ansip said.
At the meeting, the excellent status of the bilateral relations between Estonia and Latvia was also confirmed. Valdis Dombrovskis also confirmed the support of Latvia to the continuation of the Estonian school located in Riga.
Estonia and Finland Move Forward with Estlink-2 Project
4 April (BNS) - Estonia's Minister of Economy and Communications Juhan Parts and his Finnish counterpart Mauri Pekkarinen, during their meeting in Helsinki, agreed that both sides must go on rapidly preparing for the construction of the Estlink 2 undersea power cable.
"We agreed that the project that enables the interconnection of the Baltic and Nordic energy markets has to be developed in a most urgent manner," Parts said.
The economic ministers of the two countries found that representatives of the countries' grid companies, OÜ Põhivõrk and Finngrid, urgently need to sit down together to discuss the details of the construction of Estlink 2.
Estonia has promised to the European Union that it will open up its energy market on 1 January 2013. Parts reassured his Finnish colleague that Estonia will do it.
"Estonia has promised to open 35% of its electricity market from1 January 2009. In that part we still need to do our homework, change our laws and co-ordinate our positions with Latvia and Lithuania," the minister said.
Parts added that the Estonian Ministry of Economy and Communications is preparing a law on the energy market that will solve the issues concerning the opening of the electricity market. For the law to be put before lawmakers, the parliament must first adopt the energy sector development plan that it is handling now, the minister explained.
Executives of the Finnish grid company Finngrid have said that changes in Estonian laws related to the opening of the electricity market are a prerequisite for their decision on investment in the new undersea cable.
The European Union has decided to support the cable project with 100 million euros. Estlink 2, the second submerged power cable between Estonia and Finland beside the already completed Estlink 1, would have a capacity of 635 megawatts and cost an estimated 250 million euros to build.
Estonia Supports Continuation of EU Accession Negotiations with Turkey
6 April - Foreign Minister Urmas Paet confirmed Estonia's continued support for Turkey's accession to the European Union during his meeting with Turkish Minister for EU Affairs and Chief Negotiator for EU accession Egemen Bagis. We wish for negotiations with Turkey to continue. For this, we need positive signs regarding the advancement of reforms that bring Turkey closer to the European Union, stated Paet.
Bagis gave an overview of the recent developments in the implementation of Turkey's Euro-integration reforms. Foreign Minister Urmas Paet expressed hope that choosing a chief negotiator in January of this year and the national reform programme approved in December of last year will bring success to Turkey's EU accession process. We hope that after the elections, reforms in Turkey will continue at the same pace. It is essential that the negotiations do not stop, asserted Foreign Minister Paet. The Estonian foreign minister added that the successful outcome of accession negotiations between the two communities of Cyprus would also be beneficial to Turkey's accession discussions.
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet is participating in the second Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilisations in Istanbul from 6-7 April. The goal of the UN Alliance of Civilisations is to promote understanding and co-operation across cultures and religions. The Alliance is particularly focused on issues that conflict with the Eastern and Islamic cultural space.
Paet: Ukraine Needs Prospect of Visa Freedom with EU
1 April - At his meeting with Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Volodymyr Khandogiy, Foreign Minister Urmas Paet emphasised Estonia's support for Ukraine's reforms and its endeavours to become closer to NATO and the EU.
Paet stated that the NATO member states confirmed a year ago at the Bucharest summit that the futures of Ukraine and Georgia lie in NATO. The message must not be weaker at the upcoming NATO summit. NATO can help Ukraine with its reforms in many ways within the framework of the NATO-Ukraine Commission, he added.
Acting Foreign Minister of Ukraine Volodymyr Khandogiy expressed desire for the EU to define visa freedom as the goal of relations with Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Paet stated that Estonia supports the clear prospect of visa freedom to the EU nations for Ukraine. We remember how unpleasant it was for Estonia citizens to apply for visas to visit other European countries. We think it is appropriate that Ukraine would also have a clearly defined perspective for gaining visa freedom to the EU states, he added.
The EU's Eastern Partnership must also create more concrete opportunities for Ukraine-EU co-operation that supports Ukraine's reforms.
Direct Flight to Open Between Tallinn and Istanbul
7 April - At his meeting with president of Turkish Airlines Temel Kotil in Istanbul, Foreign Minister Urmas Paet discussed the opening of a direct flight between Tallinn and Istanbul. The president of Turkish Airlines informed Foreign Minister Urmas Paet of the company's plan to open a direct Tallinn-Istanbul flight in the summer of 2010.
According to Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, this will broaden travel opportunities for residents of Estonia and Turkey. The opening of a Tallinn-Istanbul direct flight will create new chances for intensifying economic, tourism and cultural co-operation, stated Foreign Minister Paet.
Paet stated that Estonians have been quite interested in travelling to Turkey. Last year over 22 000 travellers visited Turkey, and that's just the number that went through travel agencies, asserted the Estonian foreign minister. He added that peoples' interest will certainly be increased by the fact that Istanbul will be a European Capital of Culture in 2010 and Tallinn will be one the following year.
First Estonian Ambassador to Kosovo Presents Credentials
2 April - The first Estonian Ambassador to Kosovo Karin Jaani presented her credentials to President of Kosovo Fatmir Sejdiu.
In the friendly meeting that took place, the Estonian ambassador and president of Kosovo confirmed the good and strong ties between the two countries. They discussed the situation in Kosovo, which just celebrated its first anniversary. One topic that received a fair amount of attention was Northern Kosovo, which is inhabited by Kosovo Albanians and Serbians. Kosovar President Sejdiu stated that Kosovo is prepared to fulfil the requirements set forth by Ahtisaari's plan. People are also waiting hopefully for the integration of the Serbian community into the Kosovar community to take place throughout the country. Sejdiu stated that in certain spheres the integration of communities has already been fairly successful-Serbians are represented in the Kosovo Assembly and work in the President's inner circle.
The two thoroughly discussed future prospects for Estonia-Kosovo relations. Kosovo is prepared for comprehensive co-operation with Estonia. In the near future, Kosovo is most interested in Estonia's reform experiences and in IT-related co-operation. As a small nation, Estonia's most valuable resource is its reform experience. We are prepared to gladly share it with Kosovo, said Ambassador Jaani. President Seijdiu was satisfied that Kosovo university students already have the opportunity to study in the post-graduate programme at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, and in the future Estonian students will no doubt be welcome in Kosovo.
President Sejdiu expressed his gratitude for Estonia's contributions so far in building up Kosovo and recognised the Estonians currently living and working in Kosovo.
Ambassador Karin Jaani was born in 1952 in Ahja. She graduated from Tartu University in 1980 with a degree in English. Jaani has worked in the Estonian foreign service since 1995. She has been the ambassador of the Republic of Estonia to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg and in the Russian Federation, the director of the Parliament's external relations department, and the director general of the Foreign Ministry's second political department. Karin Jaani is also the Estonian ambassador to Belgium and Montenegro residing in Brussels.
DEFENCE NEWS
Defence Forces to Train Platoon Going to Afghanistan
7 April (BNS) - The Estonian Defence Forces will soon start to build up and train a unit to be dispatched to Afghanistan to provide security for the presidential elections in August.
"Although the state budget cut makes us tighten our belts, the Defence Forces will prepare the infantry platoon by the required time and the promise the prime minister gave at the NATO summit will certainly be carried out," Maj. Peeter Tali, head of the information department in the general staff of the Estonian Defence Forces, told BNS.
Tali said that the size of the infantry platoon would be about the same as of the Estpla infantry platoons that served in Iraq, but the size of the platoon could also be influenced by the specifics of the operation.
"Different versions of action are now being discussed, what kind of unit we should use in providing security to the Afghanistan elections, he stated.
He said that it was clear for the time being that additional forces were required in Afghanistan in the period from July to October. At the same time, it has not yet been decided t which unit the platoon will join the ranks of, as talks and co-ordination with the allies are still going on.
In his speech at the NATO summit, Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said that Estonia was planning to send an additional platoon to Afghanistan for the period of the elections in order to provide security there. "It is within our means to send a unit of up to 30 to Afghanistan for four months," the prime minister said.
Estonian soldiers have been taking part in the mission in Afghanistan since 2003. Estonia is taking part in NATO's most important field operation with 150 soldiers, most of who are serving in the Helmand province in the south of Afghanistan.
NATO Air-Policing Training Event Taking Place in Baltic Airspace
7 April - Today NATO will perform an air-policing training event in the airspace of the Baltic states, which will be the largest training event of its kind so far in Baltic airspace.
The aim of the air-policing exercise is to practice co-operation between the air forces of NATO member states, to hone the procedures for air policing and air defence operations, and to increase the connectedness of the Baltic states with the NATO Integrated Air Defence System NATINADS.
According to Minister of Defence Jaak Aaviksoo, the exercise shows that NATO has the real capability to deal with any possible incidents within the entire airspace of the Alliance. The practical readiness to perform such exercises in the airspace of the Baltic states also carries a strong political message-that on NATO's 60th anniversary, every member state is within the security space of the Alliance, said Aaviksoo.
Taking part in the exercise will be F-16 fighters from the United States, Poland and Denmark, L-159 training aircrafts from the Czech Republic, L-39 training aircrafts from Lithuania, Estonian An-2 transport aircrafts, KC-135 aerial refuelling tankers from the United States, and NATO E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.
Air operations for the exercise are co-ordinated and the aircraft are directed from the Regional Airspace Surveillance Co-ordination Centre of the Baltic States at Karmelava, Lithuania, and also from the Control Centre of the Estonian Air Forces at Ämari. Several of the exercise's stages will be performed in training zones located within Estonian airspace.
Within the framework of the exercise, a flyover of USAF F-16 fighters over Tallinn is also planned for 7 April.
The Tuesday exercise is a continuation of the first event of its kind, which took place over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on 21 October of last year. In the future, such exercises will be organised on a regular basis.
NATO member states have secured the airspace of the Baltic States since April 2004.
ECONOMIC NEWS
Tourism Revenue Up by Nearly 10 Percent in 2008
3 April (BNS) - In 2008 the Estonian revenue from tourism was 17.6 billion kroons, 9.3% more than in 2007.
Foreign visitors spent nearly 13 billion kroons in Estonia and foreign visitors' payments to Estonian transport companies totalled nearly 4.8 billion kroons, Enterprise Estonia said.
1.97 million foreign visitors stayed overnight in Estonia in 2008, 3.7% more than in 2007. Of this number, 1.43 million persons stayed overnight at accommodation establishments.
Growth in the number of nights that foreign visitors stayed at accommodation establishments was lower than the number of tourists. This was mainly due to the contraction of overnight stays during spa and treatment trips.
Foreign visitors' payments to Estonian shipping companies grew by 21% last year due to more frequent ship traffic between Estonia and Finland.
Estonia's accession to the Schengen area considerably increased the number of tourists from Russia. For the fourth year running the number of Lithuanian tourists and their overnight stays in Estonia has been increasing.
However, Estonian aviation companies' income from foreign tourism continued to fall. In 2007 the fall was by 19% and in 2008 by 8%.
For example, growth in the number of German tourists was due to added connections, but at the end of the year the number of connections contracted again and the number of tourists started to decline in the last months of the year as well.
Of foreign markets of major relative importance the number of tourists from Sweden, Norway and Great Britain contracted.
Export of Liviko Up Nearly 24 Percent in Q1
2 April (BNS) - The Estonian alcohol producer and importer AS Liviko exported 667 865 litres of strong alcoholic beverages in Q1 this year, 23.8% more than in the same period last year.
The revenue from the alcohol exported in the first three months this year totalled 20.4 million kroons (EUR 1.28 mln), the company said.
"Liviko has managed to increase its export thanks above all to successful sales on the Lithuanian and Latvian markets, where our products have been very well accepted," Liviko board member Janek Kalvi said.
Export makes up about 30% of the sales in the company.
Liviko provides jobs to 224 people in Estonia, 130 in Latvia and 78 in Lithuania.
Fourth Selver Store in Latvia Opens Doors
2 April (BNS) - The Selver retail chain belonging to Estonia's Tallinna Kaubamaja opened its fourth hypermarket in Daugavpils in Latvia; the store has a total floor area of more than 2 000 square meters.
"In the present economic situation, the most welcome news for residents of Daugavpils is 60 new jobs," CEO of Selver Latvia Uldis Priekulis said.
In addition to the Daugavpils store, Selver has also opened stores in Kuldiga, Ogre and Rezekne in Latvia. This year Selver will open two more stores in Latvia, one in Salaspils and the other in Aizkraukle.
Earlier Selver planned to open a total of 15 stores in Latvia this year, but said at the beginning of the year that the pace of the opening of the stores would be slower.
According to earlier information, the Selver chain has already bought properties for its stores in Riga, Liepaja, Cesis, Tukums, Jelgava, Jurmala, Salaspils, Valmiera and Ventspils.
Selver invests an average of 650 000 lats (EUR 925 000) into the building of each store.
Selver operates on the Latvian market via its subsidiary, Selver Latvia SIA.
Fast Lindaliini Ships Begin Season
3 April (BNS) - The fast ship Merilin of Estonia's Lindaliini AS opened the season on the Tallinn-Helsinki route.
According to the information on the company web site, there will be two departures both from Helsinki and Tallinn in the period until next Thursday.
A representative of Lindaliini AS, which serves passengers on fast ships under the Linda Line Express trademark, said that the company would also bring its other fast ship, Karolin, to the Helsinki-Tallinn route.
Initially Lindaliini planned to open traffic in March but the beginning of the season was postponed due to difficult ice conditions.
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