IMF
Tells ICP
Welcomes
Sudans Deals,
Ready to
Support Both -
Debt Relief?
By
Matthew
Russell Lee
UNITED
NATIONS,
October 4 --
Just before
Sudan spoke
last Saturday
at the UN
General
Debate, the
IMF
"encouraged
the
authorities to
step up their
dialogue with
creditors and
donors to
garner support
for debt
relief."
Sudan's
arrears to the
IMF itself are
part of the
problem.
Sudanese
foreign
minister Ali
Karti in his
September 29
speech called
for debt
relief. At the
IMF's next
media briefing
on October 4,
Inner City
Press asked
two questions
on Sudan:
"In
the UN General
Debate,
Sudan's
Foreign
Minister Ali
Karti said the
country's
debts should
be forgiven.
Any response?
Do Sudan's and
South Sudan's
agreements
last week in
Addis Ababa
have any
impact on IMF
analysis of or
programs in
either
country? Any
IMF comment on
the
agreements?"
IMF
spokesman
Gerry Rice
took these as
the
penultimate
question
during the
embargoed
briefing,
replying that
"The
Fund welcomes
the agreement
on oil related
and other
issues between
the two
countries. We
look forward
to its
implementation
and to the
resolution of
other
bilateral
issues. The
Fund stands
ready to
continue
supporting
both countries
going
forward."
But
what support
does the IMF
give to Sudan?
What about Ali
Karti's call
for debt
relief?
Thursday
in
the UN
Security
Council, one
of the
"unresolved
bilateral
issues,"
Abyei, was to
be discussed.
Watch this
site.
From
the IMF's
October 4,
2012
transcript:
"In
the U.N.
general debate
Sudan's
foreign
minister said
the country's
debt should be
forgiven in
response. Do
Sudan's and
South Sudan's
agreements
last week in
Addis have any
impact on IMF
analysis or
programs in
either
country? Can
you comment on
those
agreements?"
My comment
would be that
the Fund
welcomes the
agreement on
oil
related and
other issues
between the
two countries
and we look
forward to its
implementation
and to the
resolution of
other pending
bilateral
issues, and
the Fund
stands ready
to continue
supporting
both countries
going forward.
, 
