IMF mentions Ukraine economic growth rate in loan talks

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov told IMF representatives on Feb. 8 that his government will continue to demand a review of the 10-year natural gas contract that was signed in 2009 between Ukraine and Gazprom, including its term and price. Meantime, the Ukrainian budget is being fulfilled according to its approved plan, he told the IMF officials, whose mission is scheduled until Feb. 12.

IMF Mission Head Christopher Jarvis said the IMF is concerned about two main issues, citing the economic growth rate as one of them, Interfax reported, adding that no other information from the talks were made public yesterday. Last weekend, vice PM Serhiy Arbuzov listed three main topics of discussion with the IMF: Ukraine’s monetary policy, exchange policy and the fiscal deficit.