Belarusian Vice Premier: IMF won’t dictate terms to us!

Andrei Kabyakou has made loud statements on International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) loan at a session of the “national assembly” today.

He states the loan negotiations with the IMF are under way, Radio Svaboda reports.

“We are doing what our country needs. If it agrees with a position of IMF’s experts, it is good. But we won’t allow to dictate terms to us and made us do things that do not meet interests of our country,” the vice premier said.

As it has been informed earlier, in the middle of October, the government and the National Bank of Belarus applied for a $2bn loan to the IMF alleging at the reason that the national economy needs an “airbag” under conditions of the ongoing financial and economic crisis.

Russian and Belarus signed an agreement on granting a stabilization loan of $2bn to Belarus in 2008-2009. The first $1bn tranche of the credit has been already given to Belarus.

Let Moscow cut gas prices down!

Answering questions of journalists on prospects of signing a contract on Russian gas cost, Kabyakou noted that oil and gas prices have fallen in the world and in this connection the Belarusian government initiates new talks with Russian on gas supplies for 2009.

“Now we have a matter of discussion on gas. The Belarusian part is initiating these talks and counts we will be able to reach an understanding,” Interfax quotes A. Kabyakou.

The vice premier reminded that the most part of the year “estimates of gas prices has been growing rapidly due to increase in oil prices , but oil prices have slumped, so we have a matter of negotiations now.”

It should be reminded that from December 1, Russia reduces oil export duties by $100. A rate wil be decreased from current $287.3 per 1 ton of oil to $192.1 per ton.

According to Belarusian-Russian agreements, duty on oil delivered to Belarus from Russia is calculated according to 0.335 index this year. Thus, it will amount to $64.4 for Belarus from December 1.