IMF chief expected in Bucharest on March 30

International Monetary Fund managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn is expected on a short visit to Bucharest on March 30; this is the second visit to Romania by a head of the international financial institution, after Michel Camdessus in 1994. The date could be changed at the last minute because of the IMF leader's busy agenda and of the possible unexpected issues that might arise amid the global economic downturn. Of the other capitals in the region, Strauss-Kahn will only visit Warsaw. Poland has a flexible credit line from the IMF of around 16bn euros, which it can access if needed, but it has not resorted to the money, yet. On the other hand, Romania contracted a two-year loan worth almost 13bn euros, of which it has so far received around 9.3bn, thus becoming one of the fund's main "customers". Mihai Tanasescu, Romania's representative to the IMF, states this is not a pure protocol visit. "It sends a signal about the programme agreed upon with the Fund, namely an additional certification this has so far proceeded under reasonable limits".