Buenos Aires (Argentina), 5 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Mercosur ministers have sent the International Monetary Fund a message asking them to speed up assistance for Argentina which would allow a debt rollover of US$9 billion. According to the newspaper "Clarin", the ministers declared that "without IMF assistance Argentina cannot overcome the crisis."

The following Brazilian ministers signed the note: (Finance) Pedro Malan; (Foreign Relations) Celso Lafer; (Development, Industry and Foreign Trade) Sérgio Amaral; (Agriculture) Pratini de Moraes. (AB)