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Belarus to receive third tranche from EurAsEC

Substantive talks on a fourth trance will get under way soon

MINSK, May 31 (Itar-Tass) — Belarus will receive a third tranche from the Eurasian Economic Community Anti-Crisis Fund and substantive talks on a fourth trance will get under way soon, Russian President Vladimir Putin said after meeting his Belarusian opposite number Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday.

“I think that the move is timely, expedient and possible given positive dynamics in trade turnover,” Putin added.

In June 2011, the EurAsEC Anti-Crisis Fund passed a decision to issue a three-billion-dollar stabilization loan to Belarus in 2011-2013 which is supposed to be accompanied by economic reforms. Minsk received 1.24 billion dollars in two tranches last year. A third tranche amounts to 440 million dollars.

Putin and Lukashenko met at the Zaslavl residence outside Minsk.

The Russian president recalled that last year saw a 40% increase in bilateral trade turnover that reached a record mark of almost 39 billion. The growth continued in the first four months this year and amounted to 29 percent.

“This proves that our choice in favor of integration was right,” Putin said before the talks actually started.

The Russian head of state suggested that the agenda of his talks with Alexander Lukashenko should include bilateral issues alongside with integration processes that are under way in Russia and Belarus, including the Union State, the Customs Union, the common economic space and a future Eurasian Union.

“I am sure that we are on the right way,” Putin said.