RABAT: International Monetary Fund Chief Christine Lagarde said that she “strongly hoped” Ukraine would honour commitments linked to a $17bn aid package agreed last month but which could be reviewed.
The IMF said in a report last week that the rescue programme would have to be “re-designed” if Kiev loses control of the economically important eastern region to pro-Russian separatists. “We are following the situation very closely and we strongly hope the Ukrainian authorities will respect the commitments of the programme,” Lagarde said.
She confirmed Kiev had received the first $3.2bn tranche of IMF aid, first announced by the Ukraine’s central bank on Wednesday.
“What it hinges on for us is the determination of the authorities to respect their commitments and implement them,” Lagarde said.
The rescue package is part of a larger $27bn deal involving loans from the World Bank and the European Union aimed at strengthening the country under its new pro-Western government.
AFP
