OREANDA-NEWS. It cost Belarus a hefty USD 530 million to take care of the government’s external liabilities in January-February 2013, Finance Minister Andrei Kharkovets reported.

All in all, Belarus will have to pay over USD 3 billion in foreign debt settlement in 2013, the minister informed.

The next series of payments are scheduled for April, which means Belarus’ reserves will be drained, Kharkovets informed. "Simultaneously, there is a plan we could raise our reserves," the minister said with reference to export promotion and external borrowing.

In 2013 Belarus plans to raise USD 880 million at the expense of the fifth and sixth tranches of the EurAsEC stand-by loan. Besides, Belarus plans to arrange for eurobond offering on international markets.

Belarus’ international reserves went down by USD 82.6 million in February 2012 to USD 8.012 billion as of March 1, 2013, which marks the start of the period when Belarus’ burden of external liabilities reaches its maximum.