MINSK, March 30 (Xinhua) -- The first two months of 2018 saw a 1.7 percent decline in Belarus' external debt, the Belarusian Finance Ministry said Friday on the government's official website.

Its foreign debt has decreased to 16.4 billion U.S. dollars by 278.8 million dollars in January and February, with the exchange rate differences taken into account, the ministry said.

From January to February, Belarus attracted external state borrowing totalling 742.8 million dollars, namely 600 million dollars in eurobonds, 104.6 million dollars borrowed from the Russian government, 23.8 million dollars from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), 14.1 million dollars from Chinese banks and 0.3 million dollars from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.

During the same period, Belarus spent about 1.065 billion dollars to repay its external debt, namely 800 million dollars in eurobonds, 175.3 million dollars paid to Chinese banks, 82.2 million dollars to the Russian government, and 7.3 million dollars to the IBRD.

In the first two months this year, the Belarusian government sold 63.3 million dollars worth of domestic government bonds nominated in foreign currencies to corporations and individuals and redeemed 51.8 million dollars worth of domestic government bonds nominated in foreign currencies and Belarusian rubles from individuals.