Estonian economy soars in first quarter

Economic growth in Estonia soared by 6.8 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year, local media reported official figures as showing Wednesday. The figure confirms the Baltic region as one of the fastest growing parts of Europe. The Estonian economy grew by 5.1 percent year-on-year in 2003 and officials expect it to keep posting year-on-year growth rates of between 5 and 6 percent in 2004, 2005 and 2006. The Lithuanian Statistical Office said earlier in June the Lithuanian economy had grown by 7.7 percent year-on-year in the first quarter of this year. Economic growth in the other Baltic state, Latvia, was 8.8 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, according to official figures. The regional giant, Poland, with a population as great as all the other nine recent European Union entrants combined, grew by 6.9 percent in the first quarter of the year.