Christine Lagarde, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), expressed her desire to continue the "improvement" of relations with Argentina and expressed its willingness to focus on "the clear needs" of the country, which is expected to close 2014 recession.

"I think the relationship has improved and will continue this improvement," Lagarde said in an exclusive interview with Efe as part of an economic high-level conference in Santiago, Chile.

"If we can help Argentina to improve their situation, leaving a very depressed growth, or rather lack of growth experienced, we are happy to do it," she added.



Despite the friendly gestures, relations between the IMF and Argentina, currently in talks to improve the statistics that the economic indicators are calculated, have been some tensions.

At the last meeting of the IMF in October, Economy Minister Axel Kicillof, said the agency always wrong regarding Argentina in their forecasts, after its latest forecasts, which placed a contraction of Argentina's economy is published 1.7% for 2014.

"I try not to criticise because it does not advance the dialogue constructively. And look at the places where we can improve the relationship and work together," said Lagarde.

"Argentina I'm a member of the IMF and want to focus on their specific needs, but there are clear needs," she emphasised.

In a context of economic slowdown in Latin America, Venezuela and Argentina are the only two countries for which the institution predicts negative growth in 2014.