Japan throws support behind Lagarde to continue as IMF chief
Xinhua, January 26, 2016 Adjust font size:
The Japanese government on Tuesday threw its support behind the re-election of Christine Lagarde as managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The announcement from Tokyo came as Lagarde has indicated that she is seeking a second term as head of the IMF and follows the IMF Executive Board beginning its process to pick the next managing director of the Washington-based organization.
Japan's Finance Minister Taro Aso hailed Lagarde's stewardship of the IMF through global financial hardships, saying that the government here expects the lender to further act in the best interests of global market stability.
"Managing Director Lagarde's leadership has been outstanding at a time when the global economy faces a variety of problems," Aso told a press briefing Tuesday.
He went on to say that the government highly values the role Lagarde has played as the IMF's managing director.
"With the re-election, we expect the IMF to further fulfill its role of stabilizing the global financial market in the future," added Aso.
The IMF's Executive Board is slated to decide on the next managing director by March 3. Endit