Наверх

News

Economics

03.10.2008

Alexander Surikov: Agreement in principle on stabilized credit for Belarus has been reached

Under the conditions of continuing financial crisis the credit theme is getting especially topical. Belarus doesn’t make any exclusion and here the matter is about the stabilized credit at the rate of 2 billion dollars granted by Russia. This theme is getting even sharper since the financial crisis still hit Russia.

Under the conditions of continuing financial crisis the credit theme is getting especially topical. Belarus doesn’t make any exclusion and here the matter is about the stabilized credit at the rate of 2 billion dollars granted by Russia. This theme is getting even sharper since the financial crisis still hit Russia.

Though there is no reason to worry. That was reported during the past press-conference by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia in Belarus Alexander Surikov. He confirmed the previously reached agreement in principle on granting Belarus stabilized credit in the amount of $2 billion in 2008.

“For the present there is the agreement in principle. The credit can be granted the latest in December and may be earlier”, - in particular said Alexander Surikov.

Meanwhile he pointed out that “agreement in principle on granting Belarus stabilized credit in the amount of 2 billion dollars was reached long ago and the means will be aimed at the Belarusian economy support and the covering of the spreads in the balance of payments also in the connection with the expected rise in price for gas”.

Making comments on the amount of the stabilized credit in the condition with the temporal crisis at the Russian financial market, A.Surikov pointed out: “I don’t think that the credit will rise in price a lot in comparison with 2007, the concrete conditions are considered by the Finance Ministers of the both states but in any case these means will be cheaper than commercial funds”.

We remind that in December of 2007 Russia granted Belarus a stabilized credit in the amount of $1, 5 billion.

Belarus is also convinced about the success of the negotiations. Thus the Minister of Finances of Belarus Andrei Kharkovets said that the negotiations about the Russian granting of the credit in the amount of 2 billion dollars are under way “in constant format on the experts’ level”. According to the Minister Russia “is interested in working with Belarus and it is not indifferent to what is going on in our country”.

Meanwhile Andrei Kharkovets underlined that now it concerns the same conditions of granting the credit that were initially stated. The financial crisis in Russia will not affect the process of negotiating as well as the interest rate on credit, believes the Minister.