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Minsk asks $2.5 billion from Moscow

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Minsk asks $2.5 billion from Moscow

The authorities of Belarus have asked the government of Russia a financial support for the year 2015 equal to $2.5 billion.

TUT.by has been informed about that by several informed sources.

On the weekend Alyaksandr Lukashenka had a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Sochi and discussed issues related to development of integration processes, including ones in the framework of “the union state”, the Eurasian Economic Union.

“Now opportunities of different forms of [financial] assistance by the government of Russia are discussed. These could be either loans from the government of Russia, or from major Russian state banks. In total the assistance can make $2.5 billion,” the source said. “In addition, Belarusian enterprises can receive considerable privileges in access to the Russia market. Today, despite the declared single economic space, certain barriers to enter the Russian market exist,” he added.

According to Belorusy i rynok newspaper, the matter concerns long and short money, the total sum is over $2 billion.

The source has also informed that at present the government of Belarus is preparing a package of anti-crisis measures together with Russia to overcome problems in the economy.

The final version is planned to be considered and approved at the session of the Supreme State Council of the “Union State” of Belarus and Russia on March 3.

On January 29 at his long press-conference Alyaksandr Lukashenka spoke about a possible financial support by Russia. “We would not like to take more loans. But I have steady accommodations with the president and Prime Minister [of Russia], if the situation will be very difficult for us, Russia is going to lend its shoulder to us,” the dictator assured, adding that the Belarusian economy is “a part of the Russian economy” today.

Soon Russia’s Finance Minister Anton Siluanov confirmed that Russia is to consider an option of granting financial aid to Belarus when strictly necessary, as the economy of Belarus is “closely interconnected” with the Russian one. “Now we are studying the situation together with our Belarusian counterparts. We are analyzing all the factors influencing the economic situation in the both countries, in particular, the sanctions and declining oil prices. At present we are carrying on negotiations,” Siluanov noted.

This year Belarus is to pay about $4 billion according its external liabilities. Meanwhile gold and foreign currency reserves are continuing to dwindle. They have decreased by $335 million in January, and are $4.7 billion now.

The Finance Ministry of Belarus refused to comment.

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