Debt to “friend” Aliyev to be returned now

• 30.06.2010, 8:52

Azerbaijan gave a credit to Belarus to pay $200 million for Russian gas supplies for 12 days.

It was said by press secretary of Azerbaijani president Azer Gasymov in an interview to Trend, an Azerbaijani news agency, on June 29, BelaPAN reports.

“Belarusian Prime Minister Syarhei Sidorski addressed Azerbaijan Prime Minister Artur Rasizade on June 21 regarding a short-term loan “because of the current situation”. The president of the Azerbaijani Republic has been informed of this. Taking into account friendly relations between our countries, President Ilham Aliyev agreed to issue this loan,” Gasymov told in an interview to Baku news agency Trend.

“Azerbaijan gave Belarus a short-term $200 million credit for a period of 12 days. All necessary documents were signed,” the Azerbaijani president’s spokesman added. The news agency doesn’t inform about terms of the deal.

Gazprom started reducing gas supplies to Belarus on June 21 due to Belarus’s debt. The supplies were cut 60% during two days. The leadership of the Russian gas monopolist said Belarus owed some $190 million, as the country paid for deliveries less that it was provided for in the contract.

The Belarusian authorities said on Wednesday June 23 that $187 million was transferred to Gazprom. Alyaksandr Lukashenka said he had addressed his friends for help. Later he told in an interview to Euronews he had meant Azerbaijan.

“We asked them to give us a respite for two weeks to repay our debt. But our allies, the closest people to us, said: “We ill not wait even a day.” I addressed Ilham Aliyev, President of Azerbaijan, and it took him a day, even less than a day to lend me $200 million. We paid $187 million to Gazprom, we have settled the debt in full,” Lukashenka said.