Press Release No. 18/441

Statement by the IMF Managing Director on her Telephone Call with the President of Ukraine

November 28, 2018

Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), held a telephone conversation today with Petro Poroshenko, President of Ukraine. Following the call, Ms. Lagarde made the following statement:

“I had a constructive conversation with President Poroshenko earlier today, during which we discussed the status of the expected Stand-By Arrangement. The President informed me about the key parameters of the 2019 budget, which was recently approved by parliament and is currently under review by IMF staff. The preliminary assessment is satisfactory and the process is expected to be completed shortly. We also explored possible technical assistance from the IMF to strengthen tax administration and make the tax system more growth friendly while assuring debt sustainability.

“All prior actions are expected to be completed by the Ukrainian authorities by December 10, 2018, and a meeting of the Executive Board to discuss the Stand-By Arrangement would be convened promptly after that.

“We reaffirmed the positive and cooperative relationship between Ukraine and the IMF.”