21.   Meanwhile, business leaders appealed to lenders to participate in the debt swap for the sake of national unity.

22.   Such a debt swap would probably require some backing from the international financial community, particularly the United States.

23.   The debt swap is expected to involve the printing of billions of new rubles, which almost certainly will contribute to inflation.

24.   The economic package is expected to include a tax cut to boost consumer spending, reductions in government spending, aid to struggling companies and a debt swap.

25.   The debt swap, which calls on investors to accept lower interest payments and postpones full payment by three years, would be the largest restructuring of its kind.

26.   The measures are expected to include a tax cut to boost consumer spending, spending cuts, aid to struggling private companies and a debt swap.

27.   With Cavallo closing the offer period for the local debt swap later Friday, his economic team said the results of that debt restructuring would be released Monday morning.