Press Release No. 09/118

Press Release: Statement by IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn on Switzerland’s Announcement of US$10 Billion in Financial Support for the IMF

April 8, 2009

The Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn, made the following statement today:

“I welcome the announcement today by the Swiss Federal Department of Finance of Switzerland’s intention to establish a bilateral credit line of up to US$10 billion to reinforce the lending capacity of the IMF. We are very pleased that Switzerland is joining other members, including Japan, the European Union, Norway, and Canada in support of the Fund’s efforts to prevent and resolve economic difficulties in other member countries.

“This important step demonstrates Switzerland’s commitment to the multilateral response to the economic crisis, including an increase in the IMF’s lending capacity. It will contribute significantly to strengthening the financial system by increasing confidence that the IMF’s resources will be sufficient to meet the financing needs of its member countries.”