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21:47 GMT
CAIRO, April 11 (KUNA) -- Egyptian Prime Minister Dr. Hisahm Qandil on
Thursday received the International Monetary Fund (IMF) staff mission headed
by Andreas Bauer in the presence of Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt and
ministers of finance and planning and international cooperation.
The talks focused on the staff-level agreement reached by the two sides in
last November on a 22-month Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) in the amount of about
USD 4.8 billion to Egypt.
"The two sides assessed the progress towards a final agreement on the
long-awaited loan," Egyptian Cabinet Spokesman Dr. Alaa Al-Hadidi told
reporters here.
"The IMF mission will continue talks with the Egyptian government and the
planned economic reforms until next week," he said.
The recent funding received from Qatar and Libya will not affect the
government resolve to implement the economic and social reforms, the spokesman
affirmed.
The two sides held several rounds of talks on the loan which aims to shore
up the Egyptian economy in the wake of the January 25, 2011, revolution;
Egypt expects a final agreement in the coming fortnight. (end)
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