The International Monetary Fund (IMF) appointed Juan Jose Fernandez Ansola as its resident representative to Bulgaria and Romania, Darik Radio said.

The new office of Fernandez Ansola would be in Bucharest, Darik said.

Fernandez Ansola was a former head of the IMF's mission to Slovenia.

The next IMF mission would arrive in Bulgaria in October to discuss budget 2007. The fund would release its last report on Bulgaria in December 2006. IMF's programme in Bulgaria would end in March 2007.
 
Former IMF representative to Bulgaria James Roaf said that economic growth would be 5.6 per cent by the end of 2006 and six per cent for 2007.

Roaf said that he noticed a positive trend in Bulgaria's foreign trade. Export increase rate exceeded the one for import.