International Monetary Fund mission starts visit to Moldova

Chisinau, 22 September /MOLDPRES/ - The mission of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) arrived on a two-week visit to Moldova today.

"A team of IMF experts led by Ivanna Vladkova-Hollar will be paying a working visit to Chisinau between 22 September and 6 October, in the context of preparations for the regular Article IV Consultations for 2015 as well as to initiate discussions on policies that could form the basis of an IMF-supported programme", a press release of the IMF's permanent representative in Moldova Armine Khachatryan reads.

Sources said that the mission was not focused on negotiations on a new agreement, but about the preparation for negotiations within a different mission, at another time.

National Bank Governor Dorin Dragutanu and First Deputy Governor Marin Molosag resigned on the eve of the experts’ arrival in Chisinau.

Prime Minister Valeriu Strelet said in a press conference on 21 September that since the request had not been yet approved, the resignation of the central bank would not affect negotiations with the IMF, because there was not an interim governor that could not discuss with the experts. "The government’s team is fully prepared for these negotiations, which we hope to be completed successfully and lead to macro-financial stabilisation and normalisation of relations with all development partners," the prime minister said.

Signing a new agreement with the IMF would release the World Bank’s budget support of 45 million dollars and 40.7 million euros from the European Union, as well as would restore confidence in the macro-financial stability of Moldova.

The IMF mission had planned to come to Chisinau on 17 June, but postponed their visit due to the lack of a plenipotentiary government following the resignation of the former prime minister, Chiril Gaburici.

(Reporter V. Bercu, Editor M. Jantovan)