30 January 2008
Venezuela is expected to decide on loan to Belarus in February, charge d’affaires says

Venezuela is considering providing a loan to Belarus, Dias Nunes, the Venezuelan charge d’affaires in Minsk, told BelaPAN.

A decision on the matter is expected to be made in February, when a Belarusian delegation led by Viktar Sheyman, state secretary of the Security Council, will be on a visit to Caracas, he said.

According to him, the amount of the loan is classified information, but it is going to be a large sum.

First Deputy Prime Minister Uladzimir Syamashka said last year that Venezuela was ready to give Belarus a $500-million loan for 15 years at an annual interest rate of three percent.

As Mr. Nunes said, before Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s visit to Belarus in March, the countries are expected to exchange visits of experts.