KIEV, April 11 – Talks with Russia's Bank VTB on prolonging a $2 billion loan are at the final stage, Economic Development and Trade Minister Petro Poroshenko said.

"The talks [with VTB] are at the final stage. We either have to to repay [the loan], take a new one, or revise [the loan agreement]," he told reporters on Wednesday.

As reported, Russia's VTB in June 2010 issued a six-month bridge loan of $2 billion to Ukraine at a rate of 6.7% per annum. Later VTB transferred the right on the loan to Ukraine to VTB Capital plc, part of VTB Group. The sum of $2 billion on this loan has to be repaid in June 2012: the six-month loan was extended three times for a total of 1.5 years.