RIGA PLEDGES TO MEET "POLITICAL" OBLIGATIONS TO DEPOSITORS.

Latvian prime minister Maris Gailis said that his governmentwould seek to pay back depositors at the failed Baltija Bank bycollecting from those who owe that bank money rather than by usinggeneral state revenues, BNS reported June 29. That assurance thatRiga will meet its "political" obligations to the bank’sdepositors will do little to calm the situation in Latvia. Eventhe government’s working group on the failed bank suggested thatthe Latvian authorities must do more and do it more quickly toprevent a financial panic, the news service said.

Moscow Cuts Gas Supplies to Belarus.