Rice
genially said
several times
that the
question
couldn't or
wouldn't be
answered while
the IMF
mission is “in
the field” in
Ukraine. He
initially gave
the same
answer to
Inner City
Press'
question that
had nothing to
do with
Ukraine: is it
true, as
Russia
reportedly
argued at the
most recent
G-20 meeting,
that quota
reform could
be
accomplished
without US
approval,
under some set
of rule
changes?
Rice
during the
briefing
repeated this
could not be
answered while
the mission is
in Ukraine.
Later it was
conveyed that
the reform is
not possible
without US
approval. The
answer is
appreciated: a
benefit of
asking in
person. But
Inner City
Press (and the
Free
UN Coalition
for Access)
hope to make
the online
asking of
questions work
better from
now on.
The
IMF visit to
Ukraine should
end tomorrow,
so we'll see –
on Sudan and
South Sudan as
well:
responses will
be published
upon receipt.
In
another
non-Ukraine
question,
Inner City
Press asked
Rice about a
book published
earlier this
week in
Hungary,
that the
then-economy
minister in
2011 told
Goldman Sachs
that the
government
would be going
to the IMF for
a program.
Since much
currency
trading
ensued, Inner
City Press
asked if the
IMF has any
rules limiting
its government
interlocutors
from trading
on or sharing
insider
information.Video
here, from
Minute 31:12.
Rice
said there are
confidential
provisions.
But are those
only for the
contents of
communication
and not the
existence of
communications
or
negotiations?
We'll see.
, 
