USA intelligence: Belarus will see new crisis in 2013

• 13.03.2013, 8:43

The economic situation remains fragile in Belarus, the country may face a new economic crisis.

The conclusions are made in the annual report by the director of the national intelligence of the USA James Clapper on modern threats, RIA Novosti reports.

“Aliaksandr Lukashenka survived the crisis, which proved to be the strongest threat to his power since 1994. Some adjustments and financial assistance from Russia leveled most of the negative consequences of the crisis and also led to gradual attenuation of oppositional movement”, - the report for 2012 says, which James Clapper submitted on Tuesday in the Senate’s committee for intelligence.

“At the same time, the economic situation in Belarus remains fragile and Lukashenka’s refusal to carry out structural reforms creates a possibility of the country entering a new economic crisis in 2013”, - the document says.

Belarusian economists confirm that the current year will be one of the hardest for the authorities. Leanid Zaika stated that in an interview to Euroradio.

“Economic threats are quite high. The current year stands out with the necessity to pay out at least three billion of debts. There is no this kind of money so far. From the point of view of foreign exchange flow the situation is probably not better than last year”, - the economist said.