Russia officially approves loan to Serbia

BELGRADE Russian Deputy PM Dmitry Rogozin has informed Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic that Russian state bodies have officially approved a favorable loan to Serbia. In an open and warmhearted conversation with Rogozin on Wednesday in Belgrade, Nikolic said Serbia was interested in cooperation with the Russian Federation in many areas and that the South Stream project would soon bring Serbia and Russia very close together, the president's press office said in a release. Russia officially approves loan to Serbia The Serbian president expressed the desire to advance Serbian-Russian cooperation in the defense industry and other areas, along with the existing cooperation in the energy sector. “The Serbian agriculture sector, for example, can supply large quantities of quality products needed on the Russian market,” he said. Rogozin informed Nikolic that Russian state bodies had officially approved a favorable loan which was recently promised to Serbia. He described relations between the two countries as very friendly and used the opportunity to relay greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. Nikolic also said that Serbia had a policy of military neutrality and would soon send a parliamentary delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and already had its representatives in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is a regional military alliance founded in 1992 after Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, Russia and Tajikistan signed a charter in Tashkent. Rogozin met with Serbia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Prime Minister Ivica Dacic earlier today. Serbia's Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial Planning Minister Milan Bacevic said five days ago that all conditions for getting the USD 1bn Russian loan had been agreed except for the a level of the interest rate. “We have agreed everything except one thing, and that is a level of interest rate at which the funds would be withdrawn, and we expect that during this week, or possibly the next one, the Russian ministry will have its say about the matter," Bacevic said to Vojvodina Television on Thursday night. He added that the Serbian government had set up a team for these talks about the interest rate and that Finance Minister Mladjan Dinkic would be part of it. According to the minister, USD 300mn of the Russian loan will cover this year's budget deficit, and the withdrawal of remaining USD 700mn will be realized in three phases. Dmitry Rogozin and Tomislav Nikolic are seen during the meeting (Tanjug) Tanjug

Russia officially approves loan to Serbia

The Serbian president expressed the desire to advance Serbian-Russian cooperation in the defense industry and other areas, along with the existing cooperation in the energy sector.

“The Serbian agriculture sector, for example, can supply large quantities of quality products needed on the Russian market,” he said.

Rogozin informed Nikolić that Russian state bodies had officially approved a favorable loan which was recently promised to Serbia.

He described relations between the two countries as very friendly and used the opportunity to relay greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.

Nikolić also said that Serbia had a policy of military neutrality and would soon send a parliamentary delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and already had its representatives in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.

The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) is a regional military alliance founded in 1992 after Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kirgizia, Russia and Tajikistan signed a charter in Tashkent.

Rogozin met with Serbia’s First Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić and Prime Minister Ivica Dačić earlier today.

Serbia's Natural Resources, Mining and Spatial Planning Minister Milan Bačević said five days ago that all conditions for getting the USD 1bn Russian loan had been agreed except for the a level of the interest rate.

“We have agreed everything except one thing, and that is a level of interest rate at which the funds would be withdrawn, and we expect that during this week, or possibly the next one, the Russian ministry will have its say about the matter," Bačević said to Vojvodina Television on Thursday night.

He added that the Serbian government had set up a team for these talks about the interest rate and that Finance Minister Mlađan Dinkić would be part of it.

According to the minister, USD 300mn of the Russian loan will cover this year's budget deficit, and the withdrawal of remaining USD 700mn will be realized in three phases.