International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde will visit Colombia in mid-December, said the country’s finance minister on Monday.
The high-profile visit was agreed upon during a summit of G20 finance ministers and central bankers in Mexico City.
“We agreed on the Colombia visit of Cristine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, for December 10 and 11,” tweeted Minister Mauricio Cardenas.
Acordamos visita a Colombia de Cristine Lagarde, Directora – Gerente del Fondo Monetario Internacional el 10 y 11 de diciembre.
— Mauricio Cárdenas S. (@MauricioCard) November 6, 2012
Cardenas used the meeting in Mexico to highlight the recent economic gains made by Colombia over the past decade, claiming that the participation of the IMF is proportional to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP). Colombia’s economy is the fourth largest in Latin America.
Praising Colombia’s, “strong fundamentals and skillful policy management,” the IMF in May recertified Colombia’s qualification for a $6 billion Flexible Credit Line.
Although Colombia has claimed it has no plans to use the IMF credit line, the president of Colombia’s central bank called it “very cheap insurance” that boosts confidence and helps protect against external shocks.