India ready to support faltering Europe under IMF umbrella
CANNES: The big emerging economies, Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC), are likely to meet ahead of the G20 summit beginning Thursday to chalk out a joint strategy as the leaders of the world's biggest economies confront two surprise developments.
Embattled Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou called a referendum to approve the October 27 bailout package hammered out by European leaders even before the realisation of its inadequacy had sunk in.
The other development emanated outside Europe, when Japan intervened earlier this week to stem the rise of yen, effectively saying it had no faith in the G20 to offer a co-ordinated solution.
The referendum, a call on Greece's continuance in the Euro zone, and the simmering currency issue has completely altered the agenda of the G20, leaving it with the difficult task of assuring the global financial markets that it has the firepower to prevent the world from slipping into another recession. "We are not sure of the outcome because the nature of the crisis has changed," said a government official.
The official is accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on his visit to the French resort to attend the meeting of heads of countries that together command over 85% of the world's GDP.
Global equities gave up a chunk of their October gains, crude retreated, euro dropped and Italian bond yields firmed as financial markets came to grips with the fact that the $130-billion third bailout package for Greece may not help contain the European debt crisis. "We don't know whether the G20 will be able to deliver," said the Indian official, indicating the summit declaration could well be a general statement of intent that would be short on ways to address specific issues.
India co-chairs G20's mutual assessment process, or MAP, which lays down what each country needs to do. China and Russia, in particular, and to a lesser extent India and Brazil, are likely to come under pressure to contribute to Europe's bailout efforts.
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B]India has said it may consider joining an IMF effort if Europe's own rescue efforts fail to stem the crisis. Unlike China, India's reserves are borrowed money that it must maintain in view of its current account deficit that stands at over 2.7% of GDP. "So far no European country has approached us for support," the government official said. [/B]
The principal agency responsible for bringing about international stability is the IMF, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman and India's sherpa at G20 Montek Singh Ahluwalia said last week. "We will certainly support the International Monetary Fund (in) providing resource support to Europe."
The emerging economies will certainly consider the volatility in the currency market. Japan's intervention has undermined demands for China to allow its currency to appreciate. India and many other countries will also not support such a demand as a depreciation in their currencies has addressed concerns over China's competitiveness in exports. Officials indicate India will focus more on protecting its interests, as they are vastly different from those of the developed world.
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India ready to support faltering Europe under IMF umbrella - The Economic Times