BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

22/12/2008

Lukashenko and Medvedev talk gas in Moscow

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko has been talking gas with Dmitry Medvedev. Experts believe Belarus may recognise the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, if Russia agrees to keep the price of gas at its current level.

Lukashenko is in Moscow to discuss a wide range of bilateral cooperation issues, with the Moscow meeting being the seventh time the two leaders have met this year..

The talks are also expected to cover defense cooperation, as well as cultural and humanitarian contacts, with a Kremlin official saying the meeting 'will be a continuation of the intensive political dialogue between Russia and Belarus'.

Minsk has asked Moscow to borrow some 100 Billion rubles, which is around $3.6 billion.

Meanwhile, political expert Dmitry Babich says it's unlikely that Belarus will get the whole sum, adding "Russia cannot continue to lend money to Belarus in exchange to what looks like promises."

Russia has earlier agreed to lend Minsk $2 billion, of which Minsk has already received the first $1 billion. Last year Moscow also granted Minsk a loan of $1.5 billion to be repaid over 15 years.

Lukashenko has also asked the United States for $5 billion in financial aid.

Source:

http://www.russiatoday.com/news/news/35110

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