TEHRAN -- Deputy for economic affairs of Central Bank of Iran (CBI) said on Sunday that the country's overseas debts -- if the related interests are not calculated -- amounted to $23.428 billion by Jan.

23, 2003.

Talking to IRNA, Akbar Komeijani added that by the date Iran's net debt equaled to 8.734 billion dollars and its potential debts stood at $14.704 billion.

Touching upon the growing concern of the parliamentarians and economic experts over the country's ever-increasing foreign debts, he said certain measures over the current Iranian year (starting March 21, 2002) had improved the conditions for Iran's foreign currency sector and that the CBI had no problem with foreign debts.