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The international reserve assets of Belarus as of January 1, 2022, according to preliminary data, amounted to $ 8.425 billion in equivalent, BelTA learned from the information and public relations department of the National Bank.

According to the main directions of monetary policy for 2021, the volume of international reserve assets as of January 1, 2022 should have amounted to at least $ 6 billion.

In December, gold and foreign exchange reserves fell by $ 44.1 million (0.5%) after falling in November by $ 80.7 million (0.9%).

In general, at the end of last year, international reserve assets increased by $ 956.5 million (12.8%).

“The growth of the level of gold and foreign exchange reserves in 2021 was facilitated by the purchase by the National Bank of foreign currency at the auctions of the Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange OJSC, the distribution of special drawing rights of the International Monetary Fund, the receipt of foreign currency into the budget, including from the collection of export duties and placement by the Ministry of Finance on the domestic market of bonds denominated in foreign currency, attraction of external government loans, as well as the growth in the cost of monetary gold, “the National Bank said.

At the same time, by the end of 2021, the government and the National Bank of Belarus fulfilled external and internal obligations in foreign currency in the amount of about $ 3.1 billion, including $ 220 million in December.