Latvijas Pasts is planning to seal franchise agreements in order to make postal services available at newsstands, retail outlets and filling stations. Transport Minister Ainars Slesers said the goal was to increase availability of postal services. "It is no secret that in foreign countries you can receive postal services at any kiosk because they use franchises," the minister explained, adding that details of the plan would be worked out while restructuring the national postal company.
The supervisory board of Eesti Post, Estonia's national postal company, announced it would sell the company's property at 1 Narva Road in downtown Tallinn, setting the starting price at 128 million kroons (8.2 million euros). Chairman Meelis Atonen said, "The board considered at length various scenarios, evaluating the state of the building, the current real estate market situation and the future of the postal services market more broadly. In the end it was decided to sell the property." Eesti Post wants to invest the proceeds from the property sale in restructuring and modernizing its main operations, Atonen said.
A joint venture between Lithuania's Ukio Banko Investicine Grupe (Ukio Bankas Investment Group) and the Minsk municipality signed contracts for the design of the 250 million euro Minsk Leisure Center, a multi-functional complex in the Belarusian capital. The sports and commercial complex will be designed by Belpromproyekt, and the Pegasus Group, an international firm. The MLC will consist of a 15,000-seat football stadium, a hotel and a shopping center.
