RIA Novosti: Russia not forcing Ukraine to pay back loan early – Finance Minister Anton Siluanov

Anton Siluanov file photo

(RIA Novosti – March 20, 2014) The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has addressed Russia with a proposal to take part in developing a programme of structural reforms in Ukraine, the Russian RIA Novosti reported on 20 March, quoting Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov. The implementation of the programme will be a condition for allocating an IMF loan to Ukraine.

Siluanov said that Russia had not been involved yet in the development of the reform programme.

“But the IMF has already appealed to us because we are a creditor of Ukraine,” he said.

Siluanov said Russia did not intend to demand an early repayment of a 3bn-dollar loan given to Ukraine earlier. “There are no grounds for this yet,” he said.

The Russian authorities do not doubt Ukraine’s capabilities to repay the loan on time, the agency added.

[featured image is file photo]

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