>MOSCOW, May 25 (Reuters) - Russia's deal with the
>International Monetary Fund (IMF) would forbid Moscow
>from selling gold from central bank reserves, even to
>help flood victims, a government source told Reuters
>on Friday. The source was commenting on Thursday's
>statement from President Vladimir Putin that he was
>willing to dip into Russia's gold and diamond reserves
>to help people in the flood-hit Sakha Republic who have
>lost their homes."Our monetary programme doesn't allow
>central bank gold sales. We have to accumulate reserves
>and must not allow central bank decapitalisation," the
>source said. ((Moscow Newsroom, +7 096 941 8520,
>moscow.newsroom@

Putin:

Putin says Russia plans no gold sales for flood aid
Reuters
May 25 2001 at 01:59PM
Yerevan - President Vladimir Putin said Russia had no plans to sell gold to raise funds to help victims of floods in Siberia`s Yakutiya region.

Russian news agencies on Thursday quoted Putin as saying he intended to sign a decree on gold and diamond sales if a clear scheme was presented to him"to help people now on the streets".

But Putin told a news conference in the Armenian capital Yerevan, where he is attending a CIS security summit,"You misunderstood me."

"I didn`t say that Russia intends to sell gold. I reacted positively to a proposal on the possibility of a mutual settlement of debt on a so-called gold loan which Yakutiya took from Russian authorities," he said.

"I said it is possible. I did not say we would do it."

He also said the government might allow"a company which mines diamonds and other precious stones" to sell stones worth $300 million.

ALROSA is Russia`s diamond monopoly based in Yakutiya.

"And this is not a fact, but only a possibility if we see there are no other ways of solving the problems of the population which suffered from the flood." - Reuters


http://www.businessreport.co.za/htm...ol990791782833P352&set_id=60

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Ein ziemlich mieser Trick der Shortergemeinde - aber nur sehr kurzfristig wirksam: Nächstens bringen die noch das Gerücht in Umlauf, dass Dagobert Duck sich von seinem Gold trennt!!!

tofir


<center>

<HR>

</center>