International will in IMF support of Iceland

Dominique Strauss-Kahn, President of the IMF, said this evening that: “If many countries in the international community feel that we should wait with our review of our recovery package for Iceland, then we must do that”.

Strauss-Kahn said this at a Washington press conference today. He said he understands the anger of the people in Iceland because of the huge debts they are left with following the banking collapse. He reiterated that an Icesave deal is not essential for continued IMF assistance; but that Icelanders have to understand the IMF is controlled by the international community and must listen to its will. He added though, that the IMF is no country’s personal debt collection agency.

The IMF itself relies on international co-operation just the same as Iceland now does, Strauss-Kahn told the press conference.

At the beginning of the meeting, Strauss-Kahn took the opportunity to send his condolences to the victims of the Haiti earthquake and said the Fund will shortly be sending USD 100 million to the crisis-struck country with further assistance to follow.