Belarus receives $500 mln loan from Russia

MINSK, March 12 (RIA Novosti) - Belarus has received a $500 million loan from Russia, a spokesman for the country's central bank said on Thursday.

"The money has reached the accounts," Anatoly Zhuravovich told RIA Novosti.

Belarus earlier received $1 billion of a $2 billion, 15-year stabilization loan from Russia.

Belarus has also asked Russia for 100 billion rubles ($2.7 billion), in addition to the agreed $2 billion loan, to pay for Russian energy and metal supplies in rubles.