Russia gives up to $600 million to Belarus to help it repay loans

Reuters
FILE PHOTO: Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov attends a session during the Week of Russian Business, organised by the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) in Moscow, Russia March 14, 2019. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia will lend its neighbour Belarus up to $600 million so Minsk can refinance outstanding loans it previously took from Moscow, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said on Monday.

Belarus is also set to receive $200 million from the Russia-led Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development by the end of April, in what would be the seventh tranche of funds designed to help stabilise the country's budget, Siluanov said.

(Reporting by Andrey Ostroukh; Editing by Catherine Evans)