Putin approves Russia's $600m loan for Belarus

According to Mr Siluanov, an inter-state agreement will be signed after all the necessary procedures are complete. Last year, Belarusian Finance Minister Maksim Yermalovich said that a loan worth of $630 million had been approved. However, in February 2019, the amount was reduced by $30 million.

The Russian minister also noted that Belarus could receive a seventh tranche in amount of $200 million from the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development (EFSD) by the end of April (initially expected earlier). Belarus has reportedly met all the requirements for the tranche. Mr Siluanov says Minsk needs this fundss "to balance the budget." The loan from EFSD is worth of $2 billion.