IMF, Serbian authorities start talks

IMF, Serbian authorities start talks

The Belgrade office did not specify the participants, or the exact topic of the meeting. The IMF delegation led by Zuzana Murgasova will remain in Serbia until March 13.

State Secretary at the Serbian Ministry of Finance Nikola Ćorsović told the RTS before the meeting commenced that the talks would be technical and not referring to a new precautionary arrangement.

He specified that this would be only the initial preparation for the negotiations, which are expected to take place after the new government is formed.

According to the official, the IMF will analyze the execution of the state budget in 2013 and the first two months of 2014, and most likely call for additional cost cuts and deficit reduction.