Riga - The three Baltic stock exchanges were all down Thursday at the close of trading.

The NASDAQ OMX Tallinn exchange in Estonia suffered the biggest hit of the day, down 4.67 per cent. The Vilnius exchange in Lithuania was down 1.73 per cent. Meanwhile, Riga dipped just 0.75 per cent, despite the suffering of three of the larger listed Latvian companies.

Drinks maker Latvijas Balzams, steel producer Liepajas Metalurgs and pharmaceuticals manufacturer Rigas Farmaceitiska Fabrika all suffered double-digit falls in their share prices.

Riga  - The three Baltic stock exchanges

Riga/Vilnius - The chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff Admiral Michael G Mullen was in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, Wednesday at the end of a brief but highly symbolic visit.

He had talks with President Valdas Adamkus less than a day after his eight-car motorcade cut a swathe through Riga's evening rush hour to drop him at Riga castle to see Latvian president Valdis Zatlers.

Mullen's Baltic detour came immediately after the conclusion of talks in Helsinki where top military leaders from the United States and Russia met Tuesday for the first time since this summer's war between Russia and Georgia.

Riga - The three Baltic stock exc

Riga/Tallinn - Estonia's consumer price index (CPI) rose 1.6 per cent in the third quarter of 2008, according to statistics released Monday.

Prices in the Baltic nation rose by 10.9 per cent compared to the previous third quarter.

The latest figures were mainly influenced by price increases of alcoholic beverages and tobacco, but were mollified by decreases in the price of fresh vegetables.

Estonia's annual inflation currently stands at 10.5 per cent, but appears to be on a downward trend after peaking earlier this year.

Riga - The three Baltic stock exchanges recorded two modest losses and a gain Friday, giving some respite after a largely negative week.