All news

Belarus in talks on postponing date for repaying EURASEC anti-crisis Fund loans — diplomat

MINSK, June 10. /TASS/. Belarus is in talks with Russia on postponing the date for repaying loans, issued earlier by the EURASEC Anti-Crisis Fund, the Russian Ambassador to Belarus Alexander Surikov said Wednesday.

"The negotiations are over and now we are preparing the documents on transferring the first payment of the main part of the Russian loan ($750 mln) from this year to subsequent years. We began the negotiations on postponing the Eurasian loan - payment of $450 mln this year," Surikov said.

According to him, "it is practical assistance to Belarus this year." "This reduces the burden on the Belarusian budget by roughly $1.2 bln - $1.3 bln. Before Belarus had to spend about $4 bln on repaying the external debt, now only around $2.7 bln are needed," he said.

Surikov also said that this year Russia provided Belarus with a loan of $110 mln. "This is interest payment that Belarus should pay for Russian loans taken in 2010," he said.

Surikov said that Russia will continue to support Belarus. According to him, the country is building nuclear power plants, and this year it allocated "one billion dollars from Russian credit line of 10 billion dollars."

Earlier, the EURASEC Anti-Crisis Fund Council decided to give Belarus $3 bln in six tranches to stabilize the balance of payments and to increase the competitiveness of the Belarusian economy. Belarus has already received five.