IMF Chief: Middle East Conflicts Test Global Economic Resilience

Bangkok (ANTARA) — Global economic resilience is being tested once again by a new conflict in the Middle East, said Kristalina Georgieva, managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on Thursday, according to Xinhua. She warned that if the conflict proves prolonged, it could affect global energy prices, market sentiment, growth and inflation, thereby posing new demands on policymakers, Georgieva said in the opening address at the Asia in 2050 Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. She emphasised that uncertainty has become the new normal, and that new shocks in various forms and scales are likely to continue emerging. For much of Asia, the stakes are energy security and, alongside that, confidence, Georgieva said, noting that stock markets had already reacted. The IMF, as guardian of international economic and financial stability, is watching developments very closely, she added. It is continuously assessing and measuring both regional and global economic impacts.