The International Monetary Fund (IMF) insisted Thursday that Spain had not requested any assistance from it and that there were in any case no plans to give it such assistance, according to dpa. "There has been no request for IMF financial assistance nor are there any plans by the IMF," IMF Spokesman Gerry Rice told a press conference. The Washington-based global financial institution agrees with the 100,000-billion-euro (126,000-billion-dollar) bailout Spain obtained for its banks within the European framework, Rice said. "We believe Spain took the right step when deciding to secure a backstop for its financial sector," he said. "There's an assurance that the financing needs for the Spanish banks will be fully met," he noted.
