Reserves

Brazil to handle exchange interventions online

BRAZIL - Brazil's central bank will transfer intervention operations in the currency exchange market to an online system, Central Bank Monetary Policy Directory Luiz Fernando Figueiredo said late Wednesday.

Argentina seeks US backing

ARGENTINA - Argentina's government has begun crucial financial talks in Washington, as forecasts show the economy is set to contract sharply this year despite the devaluation of the peso.

Argentina's president calls for unity

ARGENTINA - Argentina's President, Eduardo Duhalde, has called for an "historic national dialogue" to take the country out of the worst economic crisis of its history.

IMF chief calls for open markets

US - The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has blasted the US, the European Union and Japan for continuing to aid farmers and manufacturers within their countries at the expense of poor nations.

Japan to unfreeze deposits of Afghan central bank

AFGHANISTAN - The Japanese government said Tuesday it will unfreeze the 77 million yen in deposits held in Japan by Afghanistan's central bank in line with the inauguration of an interim administration in the war-torn country.

IMF Press Briefing on Argentina

PRESS BRIEFING - Transcript of a Press Briefing (Teleconference) on Argentina given by Anne O. Krueger, First Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund, Washington, D.C. 11 January 2002.

Argentina lashes out at IMF

ARGENTINA - The interim government in Argentina has criticised the International Monetary Fund and asked it to let them get on with trying to dig the country out of its economic crisis.

Argentina's peso trades again

ARGENTINA - After three weeks which have seen Argentina default on its debts, four presidents come and go, and rioting spread in the streets, the country's currency markets are again open for business.

Reserves up by $200m

RUSSIA - Russia's gold and foreign exchange reserves rose by $200 million to $36.7b in the week to 4 January 2002, up from $36.5b on 28 December 2001.

Argentina postpones currency trading

ARGENTINA - Argentina's central bank has suspended the country's foreign exchange markets until Thursday, claiming it needs more time to work out currency trading rules following the abolition of the one-to-one peso-dollar link last weekend.

Argentina's woes are not solved

ARTICLE - The new Argentine government of President Eduardo Duhalde has started decisively. It took little time to devalue the peso and sketch out a new economic strategy. But the policy remains full of holes. Rather than follow the successful recent…

IMF begins mission to Argentina

ARGENTINA - An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission is in Argentina to gather information about the debt-ridden country's new economic policies.

Speech by Anne Krueger of the IMF

SPEECH - Address by Anne Krueger, First Deputy Managing Director, International Monetary Fund, given at the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, Delhi, India, 20 December.

Cautious reaction to peso devaluation

ARGENTINA - The Argentine people have reacted cautiously to their new government's decision to devalue the peso and end 10 years of parity with the US dollar in a dramatic bid to save the collapsing economy.