MILITARY ADVISERS URGE LATVIA TO INCREASE DEFENSE SPENDING.

While Landsbergis pointed to Moscow’s inability to thwart the Baltic goal of NATO membership, the Group of International Military Advisers drew attention to internal factors interfering with that goal. Yesterday in Riga, the group–retired generals from NATO countries led by Britain’s General Garry Johnson–urged the Latvian government to increase military spending to remedy the problems listed in the advisory group’s report on Latvia’s defense posture. “Latvia should signal to the West that it is prepared to pay for its passage to Euro-Atlantic organizations,” the group said (BNS, March 22). The recently installed Latvian government is struggling with political obstacles of its own making in trying to bring defense spending to a minimally adequate level.

KUCHMA SIGNS ELECTORAL LAW.