KONUZIN: Russia to approve 1 billion EUR worth of loan to Serbia

- Russia is going to grant the loan of 1 billion EUR to Serbia, but it is still considering the terms - Russian Ambassador to Belgrade, Aleksandar Konuzin, said yesterday (August 7, 2009).

- The decision will be positive as far as Serbia is concerned - Konuzin said in the statement for the press on the occasion of the forthcoming visit of Russian President Dmitrij Medvedev to Belgrade.

Reminding the press of the letter that the President of Serbia, Boris Tadić, sent to Russia in March asking for the loan of 1 billion EUR for stabilization of the budget, construction of subway and other infrastructural projects, Konuzin said that Medvedev had replied at once that Russia would take that question in "constructive" consideration.

- Serbian side has presented its view of the conditions under which it is willing to take the loan, and Russian Government is now checking how much these terms suit its abilities - said Konuzin, adding that Russia was hit by the global economic crisis as well.

Konuzin said that Medvedev had announced the day before that that issue had been taken in consideration by the Russian Government, and that the Government would make the decision soon.

When asked to clarify the question of the loan, Konuzin said that "positive response has already been sent", but that the terms and parameters of the loan were still in consideration.