Ms. Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), made the following statement today in Vienna:
“It
is a great pleasure to be in Austria, my first visit as the Managing
Director of the IMF. I had the privilege of meeting Chancellor Christian
Kern, Finance Minister Hans Jörg Schelling, Minister of Families and
Youth Sophie Karmasin, Oesterreichische Nationalbank Governor Ewald
Nowotny, and their colleagues.
"It
was my pleasure to participate in a breakfast roundtable, hosted by
Governor Nowotny and Minister Schelling, with business and finance
leaders as well as supervisory and regulatory authorities.
"I
had the honor of participating in the Finance in Dialogue series. My
remarks at Hofburg Palace focused on the key challenges facing Europe
and the way forward to building a prosperous, dynamic, and democratic
Europe.
“I
also had a chance...
to visit the Joint Vienna Institute (JVI), which the
IMF established with the Austrian authorities and several international
organizations more than two decades ago. The JVI plays a critical role
in the IMF’s capacity building efforts in Central, Eastern and
Southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia and I welcomed the
chance to hear directly from current participants on how these courses
will help them in their own countries.
“In
my discussion with the authorities, I highlighted Austria’s success in
maintaining stability and prosperity. I welcomed the government’s
intentions to put in place reforms that boost the economy and
employment, and to continue to play a constructive part in building a
stronger Europe and coping with unprecedented refugee flows. I also
expressed my appreciation for Austria’s cooperation with the IMF,
notably in support of capacity development.
“I would like to thank the authorities and the Austrian people for their gracious hospitality.”
