The IMF's No. 2 official, Anne Krueger, said she is "not confident" the lender can reach an agreement with Argentina this month on aid to keep the country from falling further into default.
An IMF team is set to travel to Buenos Aires this week for more negotiations on providing help the Argentine government says it needs to repay US$8 billion owed the IMF, World Bank and other government-backed lenders this year.
"We'll see what happens," Krueger told reporters after a presentation at the American Economics Association's annual meeting in Washington. "We're trying" to reach an agreement, she added.
Asked if she was confident that Argentina would fulfill the IMF's conditions for aid, Krueger replied, "I'm not confident. No."
Krueger said she "can't even begin to guess" on a timetable.
Krueger's skepticism signals that the IMF staff and management are less willing to roll over the payments Argentina owes the Washington lenders than are policy makers in the finance ministries of donor nations. Argentine Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna has complained that IMF officials continually raise new hurdles.
RSS