19 March 2024, Tuesday, 17:00
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IMF Put On Hold Negotiations With Lukashenka

IMF Put On Hold Negotiations With Lukashenka

The IMF does not see "any distinct support for reforms."

The International Monetary Fund suspended the discussions with Belarus "in anticipation of an explicit demonstration of high-level support for necessary changes," IMF spokesman William Murray said at a briefing in Washington, answering tut.by’s question.

First of all, it concerns the state enterprises and the communal sector, the IMF representative notes.

The nearest contacts of IMF and Belarus representatives are expected not in the framework of the preparation of the program, but during the annual IMF mission on Article IV, which is expected in October.

As it’s been previously reported, the IMF representative delegations have already visited Minsk twice this year. Head of the IMF mission for Belarus Peter Dolman, Deputy Head of the IMF European Department Tanas Arvanitis and Senior Regional IMF Representative for the CIS region Bas Bakker visited Minsk at the invitation of Lukashenka on March 16. Aliaksandr Lukashenka said that he had invited the IMF representatives to discuss "only a couple of questions" that "are very important for me and the country." According to the IMF representative, one of the points discussed was the economic and social situation, and the issue of the social protection system for those, who need it most, was touched upon as well.

At the beginning of the year, Belarus was almost ready to sign an agreement with the IMF, supported by a loan of at least $ 3 billion for ten years at 2.28% per annum. The creditors demanded liberalization of the Belarusian economy, elimination of cross-subsidization. As the first vice-premier Vasil Matsiusheuski noted in February, it remained to make a political decision.

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