This year Russia may start early debt payments to members of the Paris club of creditor countries assigning up to $10 billion from its stabilization fund for the purpose

This year Russia may start early debt payments to members of the Paris club of creditor countries assigning up to $10 billion from its stabilization fund for the purpose. Foreign Minister Alexei Kudrin said earlier that the Cabinet may reach agreement on early debt payments with the Paris club in January. "I think that stage-by-stage cash debt payments are being considered as the main option," he said. He said the scale of early debt payments to the Paris Club will depend on the capabilities of the Russian budget and the formation of the stabilization fund. Russia may spend $7 billion to $10 billion on debt payments in 2005, about $6 billion of that amount to Germany which is Russia's biggest creditor among Paris Club members. Kudrin said that the government plans to slash its debts to the Paris club in three-four years thinking it possible that as a result this category of debts would contract by over a half. German media reports say Russia could be annually paying 10 billion euros in 2005 through 2007 ahead of schedule. According to Finance Ministry files, Russia's debts to the Paris club went down from $47.7 billion at the beginning of the year to $44.4 billion on October 1.