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reuters.com: Russia to lend Iceland 4 bln euros -Iceland c.bank


REYKJAVIK, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Iceland's central bank said on Tuesday Russia had agreed to provide the country with loans of 4 billion euros ($5.4 billion).

The central bank said the loans were for 3-4 years on terms that would be 30-50 points above Libor rates.

by blackhawk on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 05:49:06 AM EST
that's an interesting twist...

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
by Jerome a Paris (etg@eurotrib.com) on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 06:17:25 AM EST
[ Parent ]
It's what Solveig's been telling me for years...

The Russians have had roots in Iceland which probably date from Soviet era fishing contacts, if not before, and certainly incorporate "Mafia" etc connections.

You don't buy breweries in St Petersburg without the "biznismen"....

is Russian mafia financing Icelandic expansion abroad?

....of course it was....

"Any economic unit can emit money. The serious problem is to get it accepted" Hyman Minsky

by ChrisCook (cojockathotmaildotcom) on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 06:40:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]
...later in the afternoon, Iceland admitted that they had 'exaggerated' when they announced a deal with the Russians.  And the Russians say there is no deal, and that no negotiations have taken place...all according to Aftenposten...    
by Solveig (link2ageataol.com) on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 01:25:10 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Relaxing the downward pressure on their currency and making it easier to defend the ridiculous peg at 130 Kronur/€ (ridiculous compared to the last freely-floating exchange rates around 200 K/€) so that it is easier for wealthy Icelanders to get their money out.

A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 01:39:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Just heard that Iceland has frozen bank accounts...no link yet...
by Solveig (link2ageataol.com) on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 02:15:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
LOL!!!!

(Sorry, I don't think you meant that as a joke.  Apologies.)

"Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.

by poemless on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 02:26:42 PM EST
[ Parent ]
In cod we trust

You can't be me, I'm taken
by Sven Triloqvist on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 02:29:11 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Yup, corralito, Iceland version.

You prop up the currency, spread false rumours of foreign support, and after all the necessary bank transfers have been made you freeze bank accounts.

Now wait for the peg to drop form 130 Kronur/€ to 250 which is where they should have moved it from 200 to begin with.

A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 02:36:19 PM EST
[ Parent ]
The Independent is reporting:

Internet bank Icesave today stopped savers withdrawing their cash after its parent company was nationalised by the Icelandic government.

...

It is not known how many UK consumers hold money with Icesave, but it is thought that as many as 300,000 people in this country have savings with an Icelandic institution.

Money is mainly held with Icesave and Kaupthing Edge, the UK retail arm of Iceland's biggest bank Kaupthing.

Maybe that is what you heard?

Nothing about a corralito on the Central Bank of Iceland or Icelandic Financial Supervisory Authority web sites.  Checked the "Usual Suspects" in the US financial news and came up empty.

by ATinNM on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 04:05:21 PM EST
[ Parent ]
I think you are right...it was verbal info I received, and it could have been misrepresented.
by Solveig (link2ageataol.com) on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 04:08:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]
[SuperFran Information Retrieval Technology]

Who had already posted the Independent report in the Special Focus Section of European Salon de News, Discussion et Klatsch.

by ATinNM on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 04:12:54 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Teaches me not to listen to rumours...!
by Solveig (link2ageataol.com) on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 04:23:29 PM EST
[ Parent ]
We should always link to sources and if it is "a friend told me", say so :-)

I also have to apologize for running around in my tinfoil hat.

A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 04:30:25 PM EST
[ Parent ]
Blackhawk, can you diary this?

A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 06:20:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I can not find more details or official confirmation from the Russian side. All in all does not make much sense unless, of course, PM Geir Haarde was the first today to congratulate Russian PM with his birthday.

Bloomberg now is saying that according to Deputy Finance Minister Dmitry Pankin there no such decision had been taken.

by blackhawk on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 06:28:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]
The unofficial rumour is that a lot of Russian money was earlier lent through Iceland...
by Metatone (metatone [a|t] gmail (dot) com) on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 06:26:23 AM EST
[ Parent ]
So the Russian government is bailing out Russian creditors? That would make sense.

A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 06:27:29 AM EST
[ Parent ]
I do not think it is 'unofficial', it is just that MSM have not been interested.  Aftenposten reports that the Icelandic PM was in Russia during the summer to discuss the situation.  Russia is very much involved in Icelandic finance, and has been since they all of a sudden started 'raiding' in the UK and the Nordic countries.  The Russians are not stupid, they know that the 'centre of gravity' is moving north, and Iceland is perfectly placed as a mid Atlantic financial centre - a sort of 'frozen' Dubai?    
by Solveig (link2ageataol.com) on Tue Oct 7th, 2008 at 07:42:43 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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