Kiev says it has no state debt to Belarus :: Charter'97 :: News

Ukraine settled the debt issues in 2001, when it drew debt rescheduling agreements with all its Paris Club creditors, head of the Foreign Ministry`s Economic Cooperation Department Sergei Kruglyk told a news briefing on Tuesday.

However, Kruglyk acknowledged unsettled issues in trade-and economic relations between Ukraine and Belarus in 1992, although no Belarussian economic entity has announced any claims so far.

According to the Ukrainian official, before the National Bank of Ukraine and the National Bank of Belarus established correspondent accounts, the balance in inter-state settlements was in favor of Belarus.

"The figure, denominated in Soviet roubles, does exist; the Finance Ministry can tell the precise sum," Kruglyk said, adding that various sources estimate the so-called Ukraine`s debt to Belarus from as many as 117 million dollars claimed by Minsk, to 60 million dollars.

On April 13, Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko called the statement by Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko on promoting freedom in Belarus "unreasoned."

Lukashenko said at the same time he was hoping for a meeting with Yushchenko over the settlement of Ukraine`s financial liability, which appeared after the countries stopped using the Soviet currency in settlements in 1992.