2023 Washington Conference: IMF's Kristalina Georgieva and AS/COA's Susan Segal

Speaker

• Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• Susan Segal, President and CEO, Americas Society/Council of the Americas

AS/COA held the 53rd Washington Conference on the Americas Keynote Luncheon on November 8, 2023 at the United States Department of State in Washington, D.C. In her remarks at the luncheon, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva stated that Latin America faces slow growth in the coming year. "We see GDP growth slowing from about 4 percent in 2022 to 2.3 percent this year and 2.3 percent next year, largely because of unsupportive external conditions," said Georgieva. When addressing this problem, she noted that countries should be "very focused on monetary policy that brings inflation where it has to be, and to be very vigilant about financial stability risks and prepare for future shocks."

After her presentation, Georgieva sat down for an interview with AS/COA's Susan Segal about trade, investment growth, and digital infrastructure. Segal noted that the IMF works with countries individually, so she asked the IMF managing director: "As you think about Latin America, is there a way that you can work with all the countries together?" Georgieva mentioned that the IMF is partnering with the World Bank and Inter-American Development Bank on climate, digital advancement, and debt for a more "strategic alignment." Finally, Georgieva mentioned that the IMF's regional and training centers serve as "a transmission line of experience from one place to another."