| Details of Russian loan unclear |
| 21 October 2009 | 21:06
| Source:
B92, Beta |
BELGRADE --
The details of a loan that Russia is expected to officially approve to Serbia still remain unknown.
A meeting in Moscow next week should produce all the answers, with the Serbian Ministry of Finance confirming on Wednesday in Belgrade that "all the details will be known by the end of next week".
The conditions under which the Russians will lend the money, and the manner in which it will be spent, will most likely be agreed on when the state expert groups meet in Moscow, the ministry added.
In Serbia, many count on the loan, from the state budget to Serbian Railways. Meanwhile, the precise amount and even the currency are unclear: some mention one billion U.S. dollars, while others say that Serbia will borrow in the amount of one billion euros (USD 1.5bn).
A spokeswoman for the Russian president said the negotiations on the loan were continuing, "with a positive tone", and that the Serb side was "currently formulating a list of projects that could be a basis for the loan".
Natalya Tymakova made the comment yesterday in Belgrade, and also explained that no plans had been made to sign the loan deal during Dmitry Medvedev's visit to Serbia on Tuesday.
All this, according to Tymakova, is standard approval procedure when it comes to lending money to another state. She also noted that the amount of money in question "remains under consideration".
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