WASHINGTON (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
