core sector communique

Statement by IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn at the Conclusion of his Visit to Poland

  

Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), issued the following statement today in Warsaw at the conclusion of his visit to Poland:

“It was a great pleasure for me to spend the last two days in Warsaw and to meet with a wide range of the Polish people: from government leaders and officials to academics and students. The IMF has been Poland’s friend and partner since the first stabilization program in 1989 and, more recently, the IMF has helped with Poland’s response to the financial crisis through our Flexible Credit Line. We look forward to our continued collaboration in the future.

“I met today with Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Finance Minister Jacek Rostowski, and National Bank President Slawomir Skrzypek, and we had the opportunity to discuss recent economic developments in Poland. The Polish economy weathered the crisis well primarily because the authorities implemented the appropriate policies. Indeed, Poland was the only economy in the European Union to register positive economic growth in 2009. I commended the government and people of Poland on this achievement. While many difficult economic challenges remain – most notably the need to reduce unemployment levels – Poland’s outlook is favorable as the global environment improves. We expect growth to increase to around 2 ¾ percent his year and 3 ¼ percent in 2011.

“During my discussion at the Warsaw School at Economics, I was greatly impressed with the students’ interest and engagement in regional and global issues, and I enjoyed the exchange of views about social and economic developments. The debate with high-level participants during the panel discussion at the Royal Castle was also very constructive and proved once again how important and beneficial the advancement of the region is to Europe and the world.

“I would like to thank the authorities and the Polish people for their warm hospitality and especially the Chopin museum for allowing us to attend an exquisite performance.”