Belarus’ forex reserves down $112.6m in December to $8.1bn

MINSK, 5 January (BelTA) – Belarus’ gold and foreign exchange reserves amounted to $8.09 billion in IMF terms as of 1 January 2013, down $112.6 million in December, the Information Office of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus told BelTA.

In national terms the gold and foreign exchange reserves amounted to $8,763.1 million as of 1 January 2013, down $134.3 million.

“The gold and foreign exchange reserves shrank primarily due to the repayment by the Government and the National Bank of the external and domestic obligations in foreign currency and also due to the decrease in the value of gold in the international market of precious metals. The level of the gold and foreign exchange reserves has been propped by the surplus in the purchase/sale of foreign currency by the National Bank on the domestic currency market,” said the Information Office of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus.