Did Lukashenka’s hopes for Venezuelan loan fail?

Ameriko Dias Nunes, Venezuela’s extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador to Belarus, promised at a press conference on 27 June that Venezuela would give a loan of USD 500 million to Belarus. The diplomat said “the documents are being prepared at the moment” and the Joint Development Fund of USD 500 million was “in working condition, operates and aimed at supporting of projects, provided by the signed agreements between Venezuela and Belarus”.

However, there was no information about a loan after the meeting between Alyaksandr Lukashenka and Hugo Chávez. Official information agencies just report that Lukashenka and Chávez think it is necessary “to strengthen bilateral cooperation in energy sector, promote development of multipolar world and counter interference of third countries with internal affairs of the states.”

“The presidents decided to strengthen energy cooperation and develop projects pursued by the joint venture Petrolera BeloVenesolana in Venezuela,” a joint communiqué on the results of the meeting between the two presidents.

The document notes that the talks “once again showed that Belarus and Venezuela have common views on the ways of settling the problems and challenges the two countries encounter in their work to create a multipolar world based on such principles as solidarity, cooperation and mutual respect.” “the presidents expressed their satisfaction with efforts of the two governments aimed at defence of national sovereignty and social justice for the sake of the peoples of the two countries.”

The document also stressed that “the two sides expressed unanimous consent that the interference in the internal affairs of the states, imposing socio-political models and double-standard policy threaten the security of any nation.”

That’s all. Not a single word about a credit.