Russian ambassador has doubts whether Lukashenka receives loan this year

The Ambassador of Russia Aleksandr Surikov has doubts that the question about stabilization loan for Belarus is possible to solve this year. “Will it be possible to solve it through Duma? Duma is sitting the last month, you know”, - the ambassador said on the press conference in Minsk. At the same time he recommended the Ministry of Finance of Belarus to work over this problem more actively.

A. Surikov also acknowledged there are the formal grounds for granting the loan, as Belarus has revised its budget in October and it has budget deficit, though it had budget surplus earlier. The Ambassador also emphasized that the stabilization loan is granted only for the stabilization of the economy on a number of conditions. Russian banks can grant commercial loans for trade and economic relations or for gas purchasing, Interfax reports.

Belarus is not enough purposeful in the question of oil extraction in Russia

Aleksandr Surikov, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia to Belarus thinks Belarus is not enough purposeful in the question of possible oil extraction in Russia.

“Belarusian side is likely to study this issue not very purposefully”, - the Russian diplomat said. At the same time he reminded many foreign campaigns are dealing with oil extraction in Russia.

Russia decreases its dependence on transit countries

Russia’s withdrawing the agreement on coordinated policy in the sphere of oil and oil products transit, signed in the CIS frames helps to decrease its dependence on transit countries, Aleksandr Surikov said.

Answering the question about the reasons of Russia’s withdrawing the agreement the ambassador said: “it is lesser dependence of Russian business on economic and political decisions of the transit countries”.