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Alberto Fernández reiterated to the head of the World Bank his willingness to reach an agreement with the IMF

2021-03-24T21:49:27.821Z


It was the first meeting between an Argentine official and the highest authorities of the organization since 2019. They will finance works for US $ 2 billion.


Guido Carelli Lynch

03/24/2021 18:18

  • Clarín.com

  • Politics

Updated 03/24/2021 6:45 PM

At the same time that

Alberto Fernández

held a videoconference with

David Malpass,

president of

the World Bank

,

Cristina Kirchner

pointed out in a ceremony in the Buenos Aires town of Las Flores that the conditions of the agreement that the Minister of Economy Martín Guzmán negotiates in Washington with the organization credit are "

unacceptable" and that "there is no money

.

"

The former president supported privately the decision of her running mate to sue Mauricio Macri and his economic team for the

loan of US $ 44 billion

and to point out the alleged complicity of the IMF.

During the videoconference, the President once again expressed the Government's willingness to pay its debts and fulfill its commitments.

Although the World Bank is not the IMF, they are quite similar.

Enough so that its current head has been the Undersecretary of

International Affairs of the United States Treasury

during the administration of

Donald Trump

, when the Fund granted the largest loan in its history precisely to Argentina.

Although Europe traditionally controls the presidency of the credit agency, Washington holds 16 percent of the board's votes.

Perhaps Malpass, a hawk of a thousand battles, did not find out about the simultaneous statements of the vice president, but perhaps he was aware of the sinuous relationship of the Argentine government with the Venezuelan regime of

Nicolás Maduro

, which this Tuesday added a new chapter , when he resigned from the Lima Group.

The wife of the president of the World Bank is, it is worth remembering, Venezuelan.

In the Government they assure that none of this weighed in the

45-minute conversation

that the President, the Secretary of Strategic Affairs

Gustavo Beliz

- who weaves the relationship with international organizations - with the exception of the IMF - and

Martín Guzmán

, who

held from Olivos

is in Washington and the ambassador to the United States,

Jorge Argüello

, with Malpass and his team.

The Minister of Economy participated from the embassy in Washington along with

Cecilia Nahón

and

Marcelo Barg

, the two Argentine representatives to the World Bank.

Images of the meeting between President Alberto Fernández and World Bank President David Malpass.

Photo: Presidency

It was the

first direct conversation

between the head of the World Bank and Argentine authorities.

Beliz had managed to talk with the number 2 of the body Axel van Trotsenburg - who was present at the videoconference - in February 2020, when Guzmán and the head of the IMF Kristalina Georgieva attended an economic forum in the Vatican, organized by the Pope and the Argentine Cardinal Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo.

This time, in front of Malpass, the President insisted that

he has no interest in not paying

and reiterated that he is here to fulfill the commitments made.

He recalled that during his tenure as Chief of Staff it was the last time in decades that Argentina

had twin surpluses, fiscal and commercial

.

"We pay and we comply, but not at the expense of the Argentines," said the president.

Fernández recounted Guzmán's efforts on Tuesday with the head of the IMF.

Perhaps Malpass had heard them firsthand.

That same day he had participated in a virtual meeting with the Secretary General of the United Nations

Antonio Guterres

and with the head of the IMF.

"We are confident that with a harmonious and equitable growth we will be able to move forward, paying attention to those who need it most," said Fernández, who reiterated that the country is advancing in an integration plan with the world.

The problem of the shortage of vaccines against the coronavirus sneaked into the talk.

The World Bank offered collaboration.

Observations and financing of the World Bank

In an

official statement from the agency

, it is detailed that Malpass emphasized the importance of complementing macroeconomic stability measures with actions to support investment promoted by the private sector, which in turn include policies that facilitate the entry of companies and expand access. credit, including through digital financial services.

Malpass emphasizes the need for carefully designed fiscal and trade policies that reduce

regressive

energy subsidies

and support education.

Government sources indicated that the meeting was a

confirmation of the close bond

between Argentina and the organization.

In addition to words, there will be money: the agency guaranteed disbursements of

US $ 2.1 billion

for

social infrastructure

(sanitation, water, schools, etc).

“If the social project is good, the loans are made.

The relationship with the World Bank and the IMF is similar when loans are requested for the Treasury, but the Government made the decision not to request them.

It is a political decision, ”explained an Argentine official.

Van Trotsenburg

, who had met with Guzmán this week, said that the new disbursements confirm the good relationship of the relationship with Argentina.

"The financing we grant reflects the World Bank's commitment to accompany Argentina," he said.

Beliz, meanwhile, raised its profile again just when it emerged that the Government seeks to propose it to preside over the

Andean Development Corporation

after its aspirations to head another credit organization, the IDB, were truncated by Trump's finger, which he promoted for that position to

Mauricio Claver-Carone

.

The head of the CAF, the Peruvian

Luis Carranza

, resigned this week after it was known that an investigation against him for harassment and abuse of power would advance.

Source: clarin

All news articles on 2021-03-24

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