WASHINGTON | Via IMF’s Staff | Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors will meet on the Australina city on February 22-23. The IMF’ s staff has prepared a note as an anticipation of the event. The institution says the recovery is still weak and significant downside risks remain, thus further action and cooperation are needed to promote financial stability and robust economic upturn.
MADRID | By A.A. | Saint Petersburg, G20 summit. Forget fiscal havens and banking regulation: the only relevant issue seems to be the eventual operation in Syria. Should it take place before Saturday, many would regret it. The only positive collateral effect in the author’s view is that it would help Istambul to host the 2020 Olympic Games.
MADRID | By JP Marin Arrese | When G-20 leaders meet tomorrow, discussions will be exposed to bad feelings and deep-rooted bitterness. Since the Cold War relations between the US and Russian presidents had never sunk to such low levels of mutual understanding. The unilateral intervention in Syria is poisoning bilateral relations, Mr Putin considering it as sheer trespassing in his own backyard. His latest offer to envisage a green light should Damascus responsibility be fully substantiated amounts to a time buying tactic. Should the US rebuke this overture, it could lead to an open clash.
By S. V. at VozPópuli | London has made an agreement with British tax havens such as Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Turks and Caicos so they will disclose name, address, date of birth, account number and transactions details of people with accounts in their territories. Then the UK will then send this information to Spain, France, Germany and Italy.
MADRID | The relaxed atmosphere in a seaside resort has undoubtedly helped coming to terms with a number of common sense goals. But delivery might prove more gruelling than expected. You don’t need to cross the Atlantic and be lectured by President Obama to concede that unwinding the feedback between financial and sovereign risks stands as a key requirement. Or to accept that current Spanish and Italian risk premium should be…
By Julia Pastor, in Madrid | On Tuesday, financial analysts at Link Securities commented that “Spain would be in the spotlight of present week political contacts”, of course, in a clear reference to the G-20 meeting at Mexico. “Discussions held there will largely focus on the country’s situation.” And that is exactly what has happened. Spanish president Mariano Rajoy arrived in Mexico with the aim of putting on the table…