Capítulo 4

Argentina and the IMF
Updated February 26, 2009

The last Article IV Executive Board Consultation was on July 28, 2006. Argentina is a subscriber to the Special Data Dissemination Standard.

- - -

International Monetary Fund
Washington, D.C., Thursday, February 26, 2009

MS. WROUGHTON: I've heard that the Fund is reengaging with Argentina. Could you maybe give me details on that?

MR. HAWLEY: I don't have much by way of detail, but in the context of the global crisis we're working closely with all our members and of course interested in deepening our dialogue with Argentina.

QUESTION: I just wondered what kind of form might this deepening dialogue would take with Argentina? How distant had relations become over the past few years and what kind of interaction are you currently engaged in?

MR. HAWLEY: We maintain a regular bilateral dialogue with the authorities in Argentina, including through our Resident Representative in the country.

QUESTION: Also on this issue of Argentina, there hasn't been an Article IV with Argentina for years. I don't recall when was the last one. You have this dialogue, but this is very unusual that you don't do an Article IV with a member country. So what is the next step with Argentina? Should you do that Article IV? What is the process there?

MR. HAWLEY: As we've said before, we would anticipate that we'll undertake the next Article IV consultation in the normal way in the months ahead.

QUESTION: May I ask a follow-up on Argentina? You're saying that the Article IV will be discussed in the next months? That a change as far as I know because it has been years without this process. So I guess there is some kind of reengagement there. I was wondering if it has anything to do with negotiations with the Paris Club? It seemed that this issue was resolved with Argentina said they were going to pay and then now they didn't pay so that thing is sort of up in the air and I don't know. Usually the IMF is involved with those negotiations.

MR. HAWLEY: Questions regarding developments on the Paris Club should be addressed to the Argentine authorities themselves.

QUESTION: This issue of the Article IV is new that you are going to negotiate, that you are going to start reviewing that in the next months. Right?

MR. HAWLEY: What I said is what we've said before, that we anticipate undertaking the Article IV in the normal way in the months ahead. Thank you very much.