Kazakhstan intends to borrow $200-500 mln on financial markets in 2000

/IRBIS, March 16, 00/ - REUTERS informs, with the reference to the vice prime-minister Erjan Utembaev, that Kazakhstan intends to borrow $200-500 mln on financial markets in 2000 by issuing sovereign eurobonds. The vice prime-minister said it would be eurobonds, but he did not give the exact time. He said the government had identified lead-managers already, though he refused to name them. The agency informs that earlier this year minister of finance Majit Esenbaev and other officials spoke about similar plans of borrowing about 500 mln U.S. dollars by issuing bonds in April-May. Last year the country launched $300 worth of eurobonds, repaid the first issue of 1996 eurobonds for $200 mln. It also borrowed $350 mln in 1997 by issuing eurobonds.