"Belarussian Finance Minister Nikolai Korbut is ready to fly to Moscow for talks on getting a credit to pay for the gas contracts with Gazprom," Yezhov said. "In a telephone conversation with Kudrin, Korbut said that the Belarussian side has already prepared a draft agreement on the intergovernmental credit." "Kudrin in turn said that the Russian side is ready to begin the talks but it will be a market-term credit and its size will depend on the gas-supply agreement to be concluded between Belarus and Gazprom," Yezhov said.
In this connection, Yezhov said that the gas-supply and credit talks may proceed simultaneously.
"First deputy finance minister Alexei Ulyukaev will be authorised to hold the talks. They may begin next week," Yezhov said.