BUDGET DEFICIT RESULTS FROM HUGE EXTERNAL DEBT PAYMENTS








MOSCOW, MARCH 11, 2001. /RIA NOVOSTI CORRESPONDENT/. The federal budget deficit which totalled 20 billion roubles at the end of February is caused by Russia's huge foreign debt payments, said the Vice-Premier and Finance Minister, Alexei Kudrin.


	The redemption sums on the external debt were largely paid at the expense of the balance on the Finance Ministry accounts, which was expected to settle the budget deficit, said Kudrin.


	Kudrin sees nothing dangerous in the budget performance figures last February, saying that no deficit is forecast for this March.