- Title: IMF's Georgieva says she's ready to roll up her sleeves and get to work
- Date: 1st October 2019
- Summary: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 1, 2019) (REUTERS) NEW INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND MANAGING-DIRECTOR KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA WALKING (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND MANAGING-DIRECTOR KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA, SAYING: "Good morning. It is a very exciting day for me, the first one in which I will step through the doors of the IMF as the managing director following a great leader of this institution. I am very excited by the work we have to do. It is going to be a challenging time ahead of us. But we are highly motivate, my team and me, to work with our one hundred and eighty nine members to build strong economies so people's lives are improved on the foundation of sound monetary fiscal structural policies. So, a lot to do on the first day. Rolling my sleeves. Off I go!" GEORGIEVA LISTENING WHILE REPORTER OFF-CAMERA SAYS: Congratulations on your appointment. GEORGIEVA SAYING: Thank you. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND MANAGING-DIRECTOR KRISTALINA GEORGIEVA, SAYING: REPORTER OFF-CAMERA SAYING: As you mentioned, you're taking the helm at a time when trade tensions between the U.S. and China are at a high, Argentina, Turkey, Venezuela (inaudible). What do you think is the biggest challenge? Immediately, most immediate challenge is, for us in the fund to work on identifying more specifically risks for individual member states, especially those countries that are already faced with difficulties, and making sure that they handle these risks well. And once we work with the membership, what the fund offers is this incredible platform to come together so tough issues are less difficult to overcome when we can talk to each other and build consensus. And that would be my immediate priority in the annual meetings: work on building consensus on the toughest issues the world economy faces. Thank you. GEORGIEVA WALKING AWAY AND SAYING 'Thank you all very much.' GEORGIEVA SHAKING HANDS OF OFFICIALS/ WALKING TO DOOR/ SHAKING HANDS OF SECURITY GUARDS AND WALKING INSIDE IMF OFFICIALS WALKING INTO IMF EXTERIOR OF IMF
- Embargoed: 15th October 2019 13:51
- Keywords: Kristalina Georgieva IMF International Monetary Fund
- Location: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- City: WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001AZ9O4ZR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Bulgarian economist Kristalina Georgieva arrived on Tuesday (October 1) at the International Monetary Fund for her first day as managing director, becoming the crisis lender's first boss from an emerging market economy.
When she was chosen, she was the chief executive at the World Bank, where she built a reputation as a straight shooter and champion of gender equality.
The center-right politician grew up in Bulgaria under Communism and is also seen as a leader in the fight against climate change, which could put her at odds with the White House.
The IMF-World Bank annual meetings on October 17-20
The 66-year old takes over the multilateral lender at a time when the U.S.-China trade war threatens global growth and pressures are mounting on vulnerable countries including Argentina, which the Fund bailed out last year with a $57 billion loan program, its largest ever.
She has held numerous senior European Commission posts, including budget commissioner, and in 2017 returned to the World Bank, where she served as an environmental economist in the 1990s, to become its second-ranking official.
Georgieva takes over from Christine Lagarde, who's running the European Central Bank.
(Production: Arlene Eiras) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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