LATVIA MAY SEEK FOREIGN LOAN TO FUND ARMY.

Latvian defense minister Andrejs Krastins said yesterday that the country needs to accelerate the transition from the conscription system to a professional army. Krastins called for taking a "big foreign credit" to help fund the program. Prime Minister Andris Skele the preceding day endorsed the planned transition to a professional army. The existing conscription system has resulted in severe manpower shortages in Latvia’s nascent army. (BNS, June 26 and 27)

Georgia Holds Its Tongue on Lebed and Rodionov.