Lagarde: IMF financing not essential for Greece

In an exclusive interview with AFP at the beginning of her second five-year term leading the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde said the IMF is willing to continue financing Greece, as long as it proceeds with its reforms, but the country can make it even without the Fund’s money.

“The International Monetary Fund is a convenient scapegoat in Greece. We would financially engage if under a reasonable hypothesis of growth, there are serious reforms implemented, and if we conclude that the debt is sustainable. But there are other options and ‘no money’ from the IMF does not necessarily mean a bad economic outcome for Greece,” the managing director of the Washington-based Fund stated.

[AFP]