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Armenia Expects Substantial Loan Support Under Crisis

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  • Armenia Expects Substantial Loan Support Under Crisis

    ARMENIA EXPECTS SUBSTANTIAL LOAN SUPPORT UNDER CRISIS

    ARKA
    Jan 27, 2009

    YEREVAN, January 27. /ARKA/. Information that Armenia applied to
    Russia for a stabilization loan to mitigate the global crisis effects
    became one of the most token events in the economic life of Armenia
    last week. Russian Minister of Finance Aleksey Kudrin reported about
    the negotiations under way in his interview to RIA Novosti.

    This was an attention-getting event to the Armenian society also
    because officials refrain from mentioning a certain amount of loan
    giving a rise to rumors about big amounts and forecasts on lending
    terms in local mass media and in the public.

    Yet, the fact is that Armenia has been managing to stay afloat under
    the global crisis so far owing to a balanced economic policy of the
    government on the one hand and to support provided by major financial
    organizations such as the World Bank, IMF and Asian Development Bank
    on the other hand.

    Armenian authorities and the country's Premier himself do understand
    that after having managed to resist the first crisis wave, the country
    is in a great need of WB's and IMF's support as only prompt and complex
    measures can help prevent the expected negative effects of the crisis.

    Hence, Armenia is negotiating to get funds required for supporting the
    country's economy in several directions. The Premier reported that
    the financial assistance promised by the WB is to be directed=2 0to
    main programs in three strategic directions - energy, drinking water
    and irrigation, road construction - as well as to implementation
    of programs in education, agriculture and social investments that
    require smaller financial means.

    Back in November last year, Deputy Managing Director of IMF Murilo
    Portugal confirmed the Fund's willingness to support Armenia in
    escalating crisis conditions.

    In commenting the statement of his Russian counterpart, Armenian
    Minister of Finance Tigran Davtyan pointed out that negotiations on
    loan support are held in both multilateral and bilateral formats
    involving the World Bank and other international organizations,
    as well as Russia. Davtyan also told ARKA News Agency that taking
    the advantage of external lending on soft conditions acceptable for
    Armenian economy is part of the country's economic policy.

    It is early to mention any amount of loan from Russia, the Minister
    said adding that the things may be getting clearer within the next
    weeks.

    Yet, it will be a substantial volume that will allow Armenian economy
    effectively coping with the possible effects of the global economic
    crisis, Davtyan said.
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