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07:22 30/11/2012 - Πηγή: Olympia

Transcript of a press briefing by Gerry Rice, Director, External Relations Department,
International Monetary Fund

Washington, D.C.
Thursday, November 29, 2012

Webcast of the press briefing

MR. RICE: Good morning, everyone, and welcome to this press briefing. On I am Gerry Rice, the Director of the External Relations Department at the Fund.

Let

me begin with a few announcements and then I will come to questions in the room as well as questions from our colleagues online. On management travel, Managing Director Christine Lagarde will be in Paris tomorrow to deliver the opening address at a conference organized by the French Finance Ministry. The theme of that conference is “A European Strategy for Growth and Integration with Solidarity.” This event is public and the Managing Director’s address can be followed live on the French Finance Ministry website.

On December 10 to 14, the Managing Director will be in Latin America visiting Colombia and Chile. She will be on Bogota on December 10 to 11 where she will hold discussions with the authorities; there will be a press conference at the conclusion of her visit on Tuesday, December 11. Then in Chile, the Managing Director will first travel to Santiago to meet with the authorities on December 13.

On the same day, she will take part in a student event at the Universidad de Chile also in Santiago, and she will then go to Viña del Mar to participate in the Finance Minister’s meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the so-called CELAC meeting, on December 14. A couple of other items quickly. We will launch the December 2012 issue of “Finance and Development” at noon today. I think most of you have received an embargoed copy already. This issue looks at the world of targeted giving and social entrepreneurship and it’s well worth a look.

Lastly then this week the IMF Executive Board reviewed progress on the implementation of our 2011 Triennial Surveillance Review; directors agreed that the Fund has made good progress in implementing its key surveillance priorities. That progress report and the public information notice, the PIN, will be published and made available to you in the coming days. With that, let me turn to your questions in the room.

QUESTION: We are wondering if the deal with Greece is credible. How do you people see this deal? And given the agreement, will you now make a recommendations report for approval of the first review?

MR. RICE: Thank you. Probably the best thing I can do is refer you to the Managing Director’s statement that we released on Tuesday. I can add that we believe this is a significant and concrete package that can put Greece’s debt back on a sustainable path. As you know, it includes substantial upfront debt reduction measures of 20 percent of GDP and a commitment by Greece’s European partners to bring back Greece’s debt to substantially below 110 percent of GDP by 2022, provided Greece delivers on