TEHRAN, Apr 9 (NNN-TASNIM) – Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, said that, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) rejection of Iran’s application for a loan to fight the COVID-19 is “unacceptable” and “unfair.”
“We are paying the IMF and the World Bank our share, and part of our reserves are at their disposal,” Rouhani was quoted as saying.
The IMF behaviour is “discriminatory against us,” said Rouhani, adding that, “it will not be acceptable to the world public opinion either.”
On Mar 12, it was announced that the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) asked the IMF for a loan of five billion U.S. dollars, to combat the outbreak of COVID-19 in Iran, which is the worst-hit country in the Middle East.
However, reports said, on Wednesday, that, the United States has blocked Iran’s request for the emergency loan from the IMF.
Many countries and intellectuals in the world have made it clear that the IMF must fulfil its duty, Rouhani said.
“We have not asked the IMF anything over the past 50 years,” he said. “If they do not fulfil their duty under such tough conditions, the world will judge them differently.”
Earlier, Mohammad Nahavandian, Iran’s vice president for economic affairs, said, the U.S. cannot block Iran’s request for the emergency loan.
Nahavandian said, “no country in the IMF has the right to veto” the loan requests.
“The IMF policy should be fair in assessing and approving loan requests” for its members, Nahavandian was quoted by state TV as saying.
Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani, said that, the U.S. blocking, amounted to “crimes against humanity.”
“U.S. opposing IMF’s granting a loan to Iran, to provide the necessary equipment to fight the virus outbreak, is real instance of crimes against humanity,” Shamkhani tweeted.
He said, sanctioning medical items is “an illegal act, an anti-human rights move, and (U.S. President) Trump’s open animosity with Iranian people.”
Abdolnaser Hemmati, governor of the Central Bank of Iran, said that, the IMF’s response will be a litmus test for its claims about providing relief aid for containing the disease.
Barbara Rizzoli, head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said, the institution is making efforts to create a financial channel for Iran to receive international humanitarian aid to fight the COVID-19.
Rizzoli made the remarks in a meeting with Karim Hemmati, head of the Iranian Red Crescent Society.
She also announced the Red Cross’ decision to allocate 500,000 Swiss francs (about 515,093 U.S. dollars) in donation to Iran, as the first step to support the country in its fight against COVID-19.– NNN-TASNIM
