Agence France Presse
PRAGUE, Sept 19 (AFP) - The International Monetary Fund is set to unveil its closely watched economic outlook report here early Tuesday, launching the first annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank in a former bastion of Communism.
Thousands of treasury, finance and central bank officials from more than 180 countries were gathering in Prague for the IMF/World Bank money events, which stretch over 10 days.
Czech authorities were preparing tight security to protect the world's chief money officials, and the capital from planned anti-globalization protests.
The authorities have adopted a twin-pronged strategy to try to head off the problems seen at similar meetings in Seattle and Washington, where violent anti-globalization protesters wrought havoc.
Last weekend President Vaclev Havel called for a civilised, informal dialogue between those for and against globalization.
He welcomed "all those people who arrive with the willingness to contribute to solving world problems."
Meanwhile, the country's police force is braced for trouble in the biggest show of force in the Czech capital since the "Prague Spring" was crushed by the old Communist regime in 1969.
Interior Minister Stanislav Gross has vowed to use the 11,000 police officers, soldiers and secret service agents at his disposal if he considers it necessary.
"Any attempt to disrupt the movements of delegates will not be tolerated," he was quoted as saying by a Czech newspaper on Saturday.
In Tuesday's opening event, Michael Mussa, the IMF economic counselor and research department director, will explain the Fund's latest semi-annual World Economic Report at a news conference.
The WEO, which reviews and analyzes the world economy and forecasts growth and other economic factors, will be published at noon (1000 GMT).
IMF staff economists have recently foreseen a 4.75 percent expansion in global growth this year, up from 3.3 percent in 1999.
But any upbeat projections were expected to have little impact on the protestors, who tend to view the institutions as outdated capitalist instruments that harm the disadvantaged.
Officials, meanwhile, have extended invitations for dialogue. Havel will chair a debate of 300 IMF and World Bank officials, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at Prague castle on Saturday.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, IMF Managing Director Horst Koehler and World Bank President James Wolfensohn will attend, as well as "alternative" economists and other opponents of globalization.
Havel said the forum was designed to create "a spirit of dialogue and mutual understanding" so as to "positively influence the atmosphere" in the Czech capital.
The forum occurs on the same day as a meeting of the Group of Seven industrial nations in Prague.
The policymaking committees of the Bank and the IMF convene September 24 and 25 respectively after several ministerial sessions.
The meetings conclude with the annual discussions between the two world financial bodies on September 26-28.
This article is Copyright 2000 by Agence France-Presse.:
