Egidijus Aleksandravičius, director of the Lithuanian Emigration Institute and professor at VMU, first proposed the idea and subsequently the first course of its kind was held in July of 2010. Egidijus Aleksandravičius said of the course, “the way has been paved by many years of observation. Except for Ireland, other attempts by universities to take original courses of action were weak. VMU is the first one to create a course which meets the challenges of distant future and provides a significant common good.”

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Ms Sung-Joo Kim (center) and Mr Marcis Liors Skadmanis (right)

Mr Ian Liddell-Granger MP will be holding an introductory meeting to discuss the initiative known as World NGO Day at the House of Commons on the afternoon of 14^th March 2012. The vision for this initiative is that the United Nations (UN) General Assembly will pass a resolution establishing a day where the contribution of all NGOs to society throughout the world will be celebrated through local events, global awards and projects that will further enhance their role and develop their capacity to continue their vital activities and contribution. The UN has recognized through much of its work that NGOs are a key partner to ensuring the success of development, relief, education, human rights and conflict prevention schemes that the UN pursues. This day will highlight this contribution and raise the profile of NGOs and all that they do. In order to achieve the adoption of such a resolution the General Assembly requires a considerable degree of development of the concept, lobbying of key decision makers and demonstration of how the concept will work through country, regional and local, events or projects.

World NGO Day, an initiative first conceived in 2008 by Marcis Liors Skadmanis COO of the Latvian British Chamber of Commerce, was officially accepted as a resolution by members of the Baltic Sea Region NGO Forum in April 2010. The Baltic Sea Region NGO Forum was represented at this event by over 200 civil society organisations from Belarus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Island, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Norway and Sweden.

In April 2011 World NGO Day initiative carried out a series of discussions with UN representatives who have acknowledged the great potential of the initiative and on 1^st November 2011 the World NGO Day Secretariat was established, having its headquarters in London. The Secretariat has the responsibility to perform the functions necessary to maintain and support the World NGO Day Initiative’s development. On the 18th of November 2011 for the first time in history various NGOs around the globe celebrated the international World NGO Day.

This meeting is to promote this concept to key players in the NGO or Third Sector community in the UK and the UK Government’s focus on the “Big Society” concept has much synergy with the World NGO Day initiative.

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The Estonian Airline giant Estonian Air is at the centre of attention with an over 14% increase in passengers carried at the start of 2012 – January. One key factor to play in this was the flight attendance which no doubt has kept the passengers very happy with figures of over 85 per cent being reported. Estonian Air has more flights to key city destinations such as Brussels and Amsterdam.

Estonian Air’s Commercial Manager said,  “We hope that increased frequencies and opening new destinations will improve the connectivity from and via Tallinn. Thus”, R. Parras continued saying,  “ we can offer better product to both business and leisure travellers, which is basis for our further growth”.

This type of move can only position better Estonia and  the Baltic States in Europe and  the World.

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The BBN reported this week that last year Lithuania’s total retail trade volume reached LTL 24.2bn. Monthly trade volumes started rising from the beginning of 2011, but the growth rates only went into double figures last August and stayed that way for the rest of the year. During the last three months growth rates averaged 12%. These high rates were mainly maintained by non-food retail where the trade volume rose by nearly 15% in 2011. At the same time, food retail volumes only managed to advance 2.5% during the year as the recovery in the same sector started much later, mid 2011.

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A regulator (when referring to European Union) said, “needs to gather all the necessary information”, the regulator continued with, “to ensure that the aid granted to MLB’s commercial activities is compatible with the Commission’s state-aid rules on restructuring aid.”

The Latvian’s of the Baltic State country are very pleased with this move giving much encouragement to its people.

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Also present at the meeting will be Baltic representatives; guests of honour the Latvian Ambassador to Belgium Lelde Lice-Licite, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at the Estonian Embassy in Belgium Tuuli Parnsalu, Lithuanian Business representation in Belgium head Tomas Vasilevskis and Latvian member of the European Parliament Sandra Kalniete.

“After the resounding success of the two most recent events of our Entrepreneurs meet Embassies series, I am confident that exciting new business opportunities are just waiting to be discovered by our entrepreneurs in the Baltic states,” said Adem Kumcu president of UNITEE of the upcoming event.

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This type of information can only help the country and the Baltic Region with an expected target of entry for Lithuania into the euro year 2014. The move would join Latvia who already is a participator since the year 2011.

Lithuania has reduced its estimate for inflation in 2012 from 3.5% to 2.5% bringing it nearer to the Maastricht Criteria.

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The decision was made by Latvia’s parliament with a vote of 73 to 3 with 17 abstaining. The news will bring new confidence within Latvia’s banking sector after the upset caused by the resignation of Irena Krumane, the former director of the regulator on the 28^th November 2011 after the suspension of Latvia’s sixth largest deposit bank, Latvijas Krajbanka AS on the 21^st November due to accusations of missing monies totalling some LVL 109 million.

Kristaps Zakulis was previously head of security for the state owned telecommunications company SIA Lattelcom and Swedbank.

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Eesti Gaas  said, “The government is wrong in saying that Eesti Gaas ownership of transmission pipes is an obstacle to developing the market,” Raul Kotov a Management Board Member said in an e-mailed response to Bloomberg questions. “The Competition Board has never made any complaints about restrictions to use of our grid or that someone can’t join it”. I expect discussions will continue on this matter.

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