Switzerland undecided on IMF boost

(GENEVA) - Switzerland has made no decision on whether to increase its contribution to the International Monetary Fund, the finance ministry said Saturday, stressing that any such funds would come with conditions.

Swiss President Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf met with IMF head Christine Lagarde at the World Economic Forum in Davos late Friday to discuss ways for the IMF to boost efforts to alleviate the eurozone crisis.

"President Widmer-Schlumpf said Switzerland had not yet made a decision on whether to participate in the augmentation of the IMF's resources and that the country would have to attach conditions to any participation," the finance department said in a statement.

"She also stressed that it will be crucial for Switzerland that non-G20 (Group of 20) members of the IMF are also involved as appropriate in all stages of the search for solutions."

Lagarde has said the IMF would need an additional $500 billion (380 billion euros) to protect against the euro debt crisis.

The United States and Britain have signalled they would consider contributing to an increase in the IMF's ability to lend to Europe if eurozone countries boosted their own contributions.