Merkel supports Lagarde for IMF chiefJune 2, 2011 - 11:09 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - German Chancellor Angela Merkel says she supports French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde to be the next head of the International Monetary Fund. Merkel said in a speech in Singapore on Thursday, June 2, that Lagarde was the "ideal embodiment" of the economic and political experience necessary to lead the IMF. Merkel said developing countries should take an "unbiased look" at Lagarde's candidacy to replace Dominique Strauss-Kahn, who was arrested last month in New York on rape charges. So far, Lagarde and Mexican central bank governor Agustin Carstens have announced they are candidates to be the IMF's managing director. Top stories Yerevan has dismissed Turkey’s demand to shut down the Armenian nuclear power plant as “inappropriate”. Armenia will loan 2.9 billion drams to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh), according to a draft government decision. The Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Azerbaijan has “strongly condemned” Armenia’s decision. Kerobyan has said that for the first time in the history of Armenia, the volume of foreign direct investments amounted to about $1 billion. Partner news | International cybercrime ringleaders arrested in Armenia, Ukraine Europol, Europe's crime agency, has arrested four ringleaders of several cybercrime networks that used botnets. Armenia skips CSTO Defense Ministers meeting A meeting of the Council of Defense Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organization countries began in Almaty. Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. |