The gold and foreign currency reserves of Belarus were below USD 5 billion as of February 1
10 February 2015, 08:16
The international reserve assets of Belarus in the IMF definition amounted as of 1 February 2015 to USD 4,724.7 million, having decreased in January by USD 334.4 million, or 6.6%. In December 2014, the fall of the gold rand foreign currency reserves totaled USD 760.8 million.
Reduction of the reserve assets amount was due to reducing cost of reserve assets in foreign currency (by USD 373.5 million, or 13.0%). The assets of ‘special drawing rights’ decreased by USD 14.5 million, or 2.7%. On the contrary, the item ‘monetary gold’ showed a growth in the amount equivalent to USD 43.6 million, or 2.7%.
On January 22, Belarus fulfilled its obligations in the amount of USD 35.8 million paying under the next coupon to holders of the seven-year Eurobonds; on January 30, Belarus paid USD 43.75 million under the next coupon to holders of the five-year Eurobonds. The remainder of the gold and forex reserves fall can be explained by the net purchase of foreign currency by participants of the domestic foreign exchange market in January.
From 1 January 2014 to 1 February 2015, the international reserve assets decreased by USD 1,926.2 million, or 29.0%, including monetary gold as part of the gold reserves – by USD 33.2 million, or 1.9 %, special drawing rights – by USD 47.5 million, or 8.3%, reserve assets in foreign currency – by USD 1,228.9 million, or 32.9%, other reserve assets – by USD 616.6 million, or 98.3%.
