Latvia’s central bank on Thursday rejected calls for the country’s currency to be devalued and pledged to defend the lat’s peg to the euro despite fears in financial markets that the crisis-hit country might soon be forced to abandon the fixed exchange rate.

“I am slightly angry at some so-called experts who are throwing around ideas and not really thinking,” said Martins Gravitis, at the central bank. “The government and the central bank are unanimous on the peg being the cornerstone of our economic programme.”