Sidorski counts on Russian loan "in the near future"

Belarus Prime Minister Siargej Sidorski said on Monday that he hoped to get a Russian loan "in the near future".

Sidorski reminded in an interview with Interfax that Russia had already finalized the technical aspects of the lean. Sidorski was today in Moscow to hold talks with the Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov.

The talks ended without a breakthrough with no conditions and the amount of the loan agreed upon by the sides. Belarus has sought a $1-1.5 billion loan from Russia over the last six months to pay for the Russian gas supplies, but the Russian government does not hurry to wire the dollars to the Belarusians.