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Ukraine to pay $15 billion of state debt 2019, says Finance Ministry

Internal debt payments will total $5.57 billion and foreign debt payments - 4.5 billion, another $5.4 billion is to be paid for servicing the internal and foreign debt

© AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti

KIEV, February 14. /TASS/. Ukraine is to pay more than $15 billion of its state debt in 2019, the Ministry of Finance said in a macroeconomic report.

"State debt payments will peak in 2019-2021. The overall state debt payments due in 2019 are set at 417 billion hryvnias ($15.4 billion), including about $9 billion to be paid in foreign currencies," the report says.

Internal debt payments will total 150.5 billion hryvnias ($5.57 billion) and foreign debt payments, 121.8 billion hryvnias (4.5 billion). Another 145.4 billion hryvnias ($5.4 billion) is to be paid for servicing the internal and foreign debt.

The Ministry of Finance vows Ukraine will manage to further reduce the state debt against the country’s GDP. At the end of 2018 the ratio stood at 62%. The ministry says a 60% debt-GDP ratio is safe.

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