US has no right to veto Iran’s loan request from IMF

In a video interview with Christiane Amanpour, host of CNN News Network, Nahavandian stated, “no country in the International Monetary Fund has the right of veto and the IMF’s policy is to be fair in assessing and approving loan requests.”

In its request to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Islamic Republic of Iran has called for immediate financing to combat the novel coronavirus which is an automated tool that governments and countries have the right to use when they need it financially. Islamic Republic of Iran is a founding member of the Fund and has a good financial performance. This international body must do what is expected of it.”

Elsewhere in his remarks, Nahavandian denied rumors that Iran’s loan request from IMF has been rejected and announced, “Iran’s loan request from the Fund is passing its legal process and many countries have supported Iran’s loan request wholeheartedly.”

“When we face the outbreak of disease worldwide, it is important to understand each other and if the disease is not contained in a part of the world, we actually help its spread in other parts of the world. Therefore, this is not an internal issue, rather, it is a global issue that should be taken into serious consideration,” he stressed.

Nahavandian pointed to the US sanctions imposed on Iran and its negative aftereffects in the battle of the country against the coronavirus and added, “The US claims that sanctions are not subject to food and medicine which is a wrong and false claim.”

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is in dialogue with Iranian authorities after Iran’s request for 5-billion-dollar financial aid to fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

In an Instagram post in mid-March, 2020, CBI governor Abdolnaser Hemmati said he had written to the IMF’s head, Kristalina Georgieva, to stress Iran’s “right to benefit from the fund’s $50-billion Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI).”

In the letter, the official highlighted the “widespread prevalence” of the COVID-19 inside Iran and the need for the country to take measures to prevent further spread, treat the patients and counteract the economic aftermath of the disease.

 MNA/4895124