IMF, Belarus agree on $2.5 billion rescue deal

WASHINGTON, Dec 31 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday agreed on a $2.5 billion emergency loan package for Belarus to help it weather the global financial crisis, IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said.

Strauss-Kahn said the IMF board would consider the agreement in January and Belarus will be able to draw down about $800 million of the loan immediately after approval.

"The Fund-supported program will help Belarus achieve an orderly adjustment to the external shocks that it is facing and offer protection against its most pressing vulnerabilities," Strauss-Kahn said in a statement. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)