LONDON, December 3 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is ready to repay the $12-billion debt of the former USSR to the Paris Club of creditor nations in 2006 ahead of schedule, Deputy Russian Finance Minister Sergei Storchak said Saturday.
"We are ready to pay the former USSR's $12-bln debt to the Paris Club, excluding the debt covered by German ARIES bonds," Storchak said.
"The German part of the debt is about $9 billion," the deputy finance minister said, adding that Germany was "not ready for early payment."
Sergei Storchak said that Russia's debts incurred after December 31, 1991 could not be repaid ahead of schedule either. "They will be repaid according to schedule since they are tied loans guaranteed by the Russian government," the deputy minister explained.
He said the Russian government had yet to decide on the early payment of the former Soviet Union's debt to the Paris Club. "This is yet to be discussed...The Finance Ministry believes early debt payment is in Russia's interests," Storchak said.
