External debt is reduced by USD 8.25 mln in October

The Government’s foreign debt (public and publicly guaranteed) reduced in October this year by USD 8.25 mln, although the state reimbursed USD 14.16 mln. Thus the public debt is USD 780.42 mln, according to figures available on October 31. The reduction in debt by an amount smaller than the real reimbursements is explained by using a new sum of USD 1.81 mln of the loans earlier contracted, accumulation of certain interest arrears in the amount of USD 1.71 mln and by the difference of the exchange rate. That means that the depreciation of the US dollar against other currencies led to the increase of the foreign debt by USD 2.39 mln. According to data of the National Bank, on October 31, 2006, the total stock of arrears (including those accrued over the previous years) for the directly public foreign debt and publicly guaranteed one was in the amount of USD 55.74 mln. At the same time, the private foreign debt not guaranteed by the Government (including the interest arrears) was of USD 631.03 mln on the same date.