DATE:
09/06/2008
MINSK. June 9. (Interfax) - Belarus' gold and Forex reserves according to national standards came to $5.351 billion as of June 1, 2008, up 7.2% since the start of the year, the National Bank of Belarus said in a statistical note.
Gold and Forex reserves increased 0.8% in May after a 3.8% decrease in April and 1.2% growth in March.
Belarus' gold and Forex according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) standards rose 6.7% to $4.46 billion.
It was earlier reported that Belarus' international reserve assets increased threefold (after going up 6.7% in 2006) in 2007 and came to $4.182 billion as of January 1, 2008. According to national accounting standards, the country's gold and forex reserves increase 190% in 2007 and came to $4.998 billion as of January 1, 2008.
For 2008, the National Bank of Belarus forecasts an increase in the country's international reserve assets according IMF standards of no less than $280 million.
National Bank head Pyotr Prokopovich expects Belarus' gold and forex reserves to reach up to $10 billion by 2011.
The National Bank of Belarus' current gold supply comes to around 27 tonnes.
Source:
http://www.interfax.com/3/401795/news.aspx