MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentine president Macri meets IMF's Lagarde at the G20 summit in Japan

Macri and minister Dujovne addressed the current economic situation and prospects with Ms Lagarde and Mr Lipton

The IMF through its spokesperson at its daily press meeting confirmed that Managing Director Christine Lagarde and her deputy David Lipton effectively met with Argentine president Mauricio Macri, and Economy minister, Nicolás Dujovne at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan.

“I can indeed confirm that the Managing Director is expected to meet with President Macri, and Economy Minister Nicolás Dujovne, at the G20 Summit, in Osaka.  I don't want to preempt what comes out of that meeting, but they are expected to meet”, confirmed Ms Andersen.

The spokesperson also confirmed that Alejandro Werner, the IMF's Director of the Western Hemisphere Department, and Mr. Trevor Alleyne, the Resident Representative in Argentina met on Thursday with Argentine presidential candidates, Alberto Fernández, and Roberto Lavagna.

“They will exchange views on the current economic outlook for Argentina. And they also want to learn more about Mr. Fernández's and Mr. Lavagna's economic policy priorities. So, it's really going to be a conversation, and as you know, the IMF proactively engages with political stakeholders in all countries, but especially in program countries. It's very important for us to reach out to a broad spectrum of political stakeholders to hear their views, and also to understand their overall objectives and key policies, and how they see them under the IMF-supported program.

Likewise, ”IMF has engaged before with members of the opposition, and political candidates in several program countries actually; and just recent examples include, Portugal, Jamaica, Mexico, Colombia and Ukraine“.

When asked about the Fourth Revision of the Argentine Program, Ms Andersen said conversations regarding the Fourth Review are ongoing, ”so I'm sure they will be touched upon at the meetings in Osaka. You know, as we've stated before, broad support for Argentina's economic plan is really crucial for the country's economic stabilization and return to growth. That is why I'm sure, they will discuss those issues at the Osaka meeting between Ms Lagarde and president Macri.

Finally Ms Andersen said that the IMF sees in Argentina strong, sustained and consistent policy implementation and broad ownership of the economic plan that continues to be crucial for the country's economic stabilization and return to growth. 

“We have also acknowledged that the authority's policy efforts have led to important progress already including on the fiscal and external accounts. The current plan is designed to return Argentina's economy to balance at the end of the program and so far it's been effective in addressing these major macroeconomic imbalances.

Irrespective of political outcomes, strong support and implementation of the broad goals of stabilizing Argentina's economy will continue to be essential to enhance that country's resilience to external shocks and just to bolster medium term growth”.

From Buenos Aires at the end of the meetings of Mr. Werner with presidential candidates Fernandez and Lavagna described the meetings as “productive”.

“The meeting was an opportunity to exchange opinions about Argentina's current economic prospects and to know about their priorities in economic policy”

The IMF official Alejandro Werner is the son of Manuel Werner, a former member of Argentine economic cabinet back in 1974/75, then headed by Jose Ber Gelbard, when the third presidency of Argentine president Juan Domingo Peron. Manuel Werner was forced to seek exile in Uruguay and later left for Mexico where he grew his family.