International Monetary Fund

The Romanian economy will grow by 3.2 percent this year, compared with a 3.6-percent forecast issued in November, indicate the latest forecasts released on Wednesday by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). For 2020, the EBRD expects another 3.2-percent expansion in Romania's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The European Commission on Tuesday downwardly revised to 3.3 percent its estimates of the real Romanian economy growth this year, from a January forecast of 3.8 percent. The European Commission published on Tuesday its spring economic forecasts.

Speaking at an event organized by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party in Belgrade on May 4, Serbian Finance Minister Sinisa Mali said that Serbian GDP grew last year by 4.3 per cent.

The minister said this "has put Serbia among the [top] 10 economies of Europe in terms of GDP growth, and means we no longer compete with countries in the region".

As Greece readies for its next foray into international bond markets, it will be hoping to draw more big-name, mainstream asset managers rather than the hedge funds who have been its main clients in recent years.

U.S. sanctions on Iran, rising unrest in the Middle East and North Africa and oil price volatility are dragging regional economic growth, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said on April 29.

The new minimum wage covers only 1/10 of the cost of basic food products, reported NOVA TV. 

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro doubled the minimum wage to the equivalent of about $ 8 per month in a situation of hyperinflation and a strong devaluation of the Bolivar national currency, France's press reported, quoted by BTA.

Venezuela continues this year to head the Bloomberg rating for "the most miserable economies in the world," but three of the top ten are neighbors of Bulgaria.

Turkey ranks fourth, Greece - fifth, and Serbia is the tenth.

Greece submitted an official request to the eurozone bailout fund on Monday, seeking its consent for the early repayment of loans owed to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a Greek finance ministry official said.
The Greek government sent a request to the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) for the repayment of part of its IMF loans, the official said.

Repaying earlier expensive International Monetary Fund loans is a significant step for Greece which will create favorable conditions for its economy, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras on Monday, promising more relief measures.

"We are gaining points of [economic] freedom," Tsipras said during an interview with Greece's Antenna television.

Greece plans to file a request this week seeking the eurozone bailout fund's consent to the early repayment of expensive loans owed to the International Monetary Fund, a source close to the process told Reuters Monday.