WASHINGTON — World finance officials Saturday said they see a number of threats on the horizon for a global economy still clawing back from the deepest recession in seven decades, and a potential Greek debt default presents the most immediate risk.
After finance officials wrapped up three days of talks, the International Monetary Fund’s policy committee set a goal of working toward a “more robust, balanced and job-rich global economy” while acknowledging growing risks to achieving that objective.
The Greek finance minister, Yanis Varoufakis, held talks with finance officials on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the 188-nation IMF and World Bank.
Mario Draghi, head of the European Central Bank, said it was “urgent” to resolve the dispute between Greece and its creditors.
In a speech Saturday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew urged South Korea, Germany, China and Japan to do more to increase consumer demand in their own countries instead of relying on exports to the United States and elsewhere for growth.
