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Kiev Starts Debt Restructuring Talks With International Creditors

© AP Photo / Efrem LukatskyUkraine's newly-appointed Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko, a U.S. national with experience working for the State Department in Washington, during a parliament session in Kiev, Ukraine
Ukraine's newly-appointed Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko, a U.S. national with experience working for the State Department in Washington, during a parliament session in Kiev, Ukraine - Sputnik International
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Ukrainian Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko says that Kiev authorities are starting talks with international creditors on sovereign debt restructuring on Friday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Kiev authorities are starting talks with international creditors on sovereign debt restructuring on Friday, Ukrainian Finance Minister Natalie Jaresko has announced.

According to Jaresko, the Kiev government does not plan to insist on any approaches but will focus on "listening to their [the creditors'] point of view, how they see the situation and how we can reach an agreement."

Speaking to reporters on Thursday in Kiev, Jaresko expressed hope that Ukraine will find a solution on debt restructuring within the next two months, however, she did not reveal a list of particular creditors that the country plans to negotiate with.

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This year, Ukraine should pay off $3 billion of its Eurobond debt to Russia, which issued a $15-billion loan to Ukraine in December, 2013, having bought $3 billion-worth of Ukraine's Eurobonds. The rest of the loan was cancelled following the regime change that took place in Ukraine in February, 2014.

According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kremlin has not asked Ukraine for early Eurobond repayment in a bid to help the country restore its financial system.

On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed off on a number of measures, including the drastic reduction of government spending and changes to the tax system, necessary to meet the approval of a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Jaresko announced on Wednesday that Kiev expects to receive $5 billion in credit from the IMF in the coming days as part of a four-year financial aid program, which totals $17.5 billion.

The military conflict in Ukraine, which started in the spring of 2014, has had a detrimental effect on the country's economy and international credit agencies have downgraded Ukraine's debt to junk status.

Ukraine's total state debt currently stands at about $50 billion.

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