Belarus out to tempt banks with bond mandate — will they bite?

Speculation is building over whether Western banks will pitch for a bond deal requested by Belarus. The eastern European country, a dictatorship with a poor human rights record, released a request for proposals at the end of last year. However, when Belarus last released an RFP for a bond in 2012 investment banks refused to get involved. The discussion is especially pertinent as Belarus has asked banks to highlight whether they are sanctioned by the US or EU, effectively ruling out business with the Russian state-owned banks.