Hungry for New Loan: Ukraine Expects to Sign Memo on Cooperation With IMF Soon

The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) hopes that a memorandum of cooperation with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will be signed in the coming days, the NBU press service told Sputnik on Wednesday.

KIEV (Sputnik) — The announcement refutes media reports that emerged earlier in the day and saying that IMF and Ukraine had already signed the memorandum of cooperation.

"NBU does not confirm the signing of the memorandum, but we expect that it may occur in the coming days," the press service said.

IMF approved a four-year program of financial aid to Ukraine in March 2015, which stipulates provision of a $17.5-billion loan to revive the country's economy and implementation of economic reforms. Kiev had already received three tranches totaling $7.7 billion and expects to get $5.4 billion in 2017. In September 2016, the executive board of the IMF agreed to provide the new $1-billion tranche of financial aid.

Earlier in the day, NBU Council member Vasyl Furman said that Ukraine expected to get a new loan from IMF in March.