OREANDA-NEWS. October 22, 2008. Russia will extend a USD 2bn stabilisation loan to Belarus, Finance Minister Alexei Kudrin said October 21, inform the news agencies.

“Last week Russia took a decision to extend a USD 2 bn loan to the Republic of Belarus,” he said. The funds will be transferred in two tranches. USD 1 billion will be given this year, another USD 1 billion in 2009,” he said.

Finance Minister of Belarus Andrei Kharkovets is in Moscow for a meeting of the finance ministers of the CIS member states.

A reminder, in 2007 Russia gave a USD 1.5bn stabilisation loan to Belarus for 15 years under the rate LIBOR +0.75% with a five-year delay on the principal payment.