Belarus's gold and foreign exchange reserves according to IMF standards increased by 0.9% in April

May 6, Minsk / Correspondent BELTA /. International reserve assets of the Republic of Belarus, according to the IMF standard definition, increased by $32.1 million, or by 0.9%, in April 2011, and their volume reached $3793.5 million in equivalent as of May 1, 2011. This was reported to BELTA by the Information Department of the National Bank of Belarus. In the national definition, the country's gold and foreign exchange reserves increased by $86.3 million and reached $5340 million in equivalent as of May 1, 2011. The National Bank explained that the increase in gold and foreign exchange reserves is mainly due to the rise in precious metal prices and the dynamics of foreign currency exchange rates in international markets. At the same time, in April of the current year, the National Bank and the Government of Belarus fully fulfilled their external and internal obligations in foreign currency. The National Bank recalled that the main task set by the President of Belarus to the National Bank and the Government is to prevent further decline in state gold and foreign exchange reserves and to increase them by the end of 2011 to a level corresponding to 3-month average imports (in equivalent of $9-10 billion), which will ensure the necessary level of the country's foreign economic security. -0-