International Monetary Fund

Eurozone authorities are seeking ways to offset the International Monetary Fund's abstention from the Greek program, as it again became apparent on Friday that it will be particularly difficult for the IMF to unreservedly issue Greece with a passport to the money markets.

Euro Working Group chief Hans Vijlbrief appeared on Wednesday absolutely certain there will be a total agreement at next Thursday's Eurogroup, although the International Monetary Fund will not participate in the Greek program with any funds.

One way or another, the International Monetary Fund will remain committed to Greece, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde stated on Monday.

Speaking in Berlin after her meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the IMF chief added that the terms of the Fund's engagement in Greece will probably become clearer after June 21.

Escalating trade tensions are posing an increasing threat to the global economy, the head of the International Monetary Fund has warned.

"The clouds on the horizon ... are getting darker by the day," IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde said at a news conference in Berlin on Monday.

Even though no officials have publicly said so, it is now certain that the International Monetary Fund will not participate in the Greek bailout program with funding.

BBC - The International Monetary Fund has agreed to lend Argentina up to $50bn (£37.2bn) as the country seeks to bolster its struggling economy.

The three-year agreement must still be approved by the IMF board.

Argentina, which has been plagued by economic problems for years, asked for assistance from the IMF on 8 May after its currency hit an all-time low.

Crucial discussions between the institutions on Greek debt relief are expected to continue at Thursday's Euro Working Group (EWG) meeting in Paris, but time is running out for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to participate in the country's bailout program which expires on August 20.

A bill containing the last 14 so-called prior actions Greece needs to enact before it can pass the fourth and final review of its bailout program is expected to go to Parliament on Friday.

European officials are still optimistic after the minimal progress made in last weekend's talks on the Greek debt in Canada, although some distance remains between the International Monetary Fund and Berlin.

Discussions are expected to continue at Thursday's Euro Working Group meeting in Paris, but very little time remains for the IMF to fully enter the Greek program.

Euro zone lenders will put together a debt relief deal for Greece that will be credible to markets and involve a rescheduling of loans from the second Greek bailout, said Mario Centeno, chairman of the euro zone finance ministers group.