Lagarde: IMF 'will not leave table' on Egypt loan talks

This said IMF chief Christine Lagarde on Saturday.

"It's a task and we will not give up, we will not leave the table," Lagarde said at a news conference during the IMF and World Bank spring meetings in Washington.

For several months, the IMF and Egypt have been in talks about a multibillion-dollar IMF loan that is contingent on strong support from domestic political actors and a commitment to key reforms.

Last year the IMF reached a deal in principle to provide a US$4.8 billion loan to help finance the government while it undertakes reforms.

The loan was close to completion in November when political changes in Cairo set it back.