Lourenço Melo
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília - Brazil's international reserves stood at US$ 53.8 billion at year-end 2005, down US$ 10.5 billion from November, mainly as a consequence of the advance repayment of the country's debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the sale of US$ 500 million worth of bonds abroad in December, according to the foreign accounts data released today (20) by the Central Bank.

The country's total foreign debt was US$ 181 billion in October, 2005, US$ 1.7 billion less than in September. Medium-term foreign debt amounted to US$ 165 billion in October, US$ 2.1 billion less than in September, while short-term foreign debt rose US$ 397 million, to US$ 16.8 billion.

Translation: David Silberstein