OREANDA-NEWS. Net foreign assets of the Belarusian government and National Bank of Belarus (NBB) amounted to U.S. USD 7.149 billion as of September 1, 2013, down 12% since January 1, 2013, the National Bank of Belarus told.

The decrease was due to a decrease in gross foreign assets by 8.3% in January-August 2013 to USD 7.853 billion and a 60% increase in liabilities to USD 704.7 million as of September 1, 2013.

Net foreign assets placed in hard currency amounted to USD 6.889 billion as of September 1, 2013, while soft currency assets were at the equivalent of USD 259.3 million.

In 2012 net foreign assets of the Belarusian government and National Bank of Belarus expanded 3.2% on the year to U.S. USD 8.123 billion as of January 1, 2013. Foreign liabilities reduced 3.6 times to USD 441.3 million as of January 1, 2013.