Spain 'worried' about Yunus situation
The Spanish government is “worried” about the situation regarding Grameen Bank and on the accusations against its founder and Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, the Europa Press reported.
Soraya Rodríguez, Spanish secretary of state for international cooperation, expressed her government's concern at a press conference in Madrid of Spain on Friday, months before Yunus is to preside over the Global Microcredit Summit in Spain.
“We hope that this undesired and complicated situation can come to a satisfactory conclusion for this important institution…
“…and that the episode will be a part of the past when we are celebrating the Global Microcredit Summit in Valladolid,” the secretary said.
The Global Microcredit Summit will be held in Valladolid of Spain from November 14 to 17 this year.
The Microcredit Summit Campaign is a project of RESULTS Educational Fund, a US based advocacy organisation committed to creating the will to eliminate poverty.
Launched in 1997, the campaign surpassed its original goal of reaching 100 million of the poorest families with credit for self-employment and other financial and business services within 2007.
Secretary Rodríguez spoke with Prof Yunus in early March and “transmitted to Prof Yunus the support of Spain and of so many other international development organisations during this difficult time,” said the Europa Press article.
At the news conference, Rodríguez said Prof Yunus "has a trajectory of many years dedicated to the fight to end poverty”. She insisted that the situation would be resolved before the summit, “which is inspired by and will be presided by him”.
This support for Yunus came days after French Foreign Affairs Minister Alain Juppé strongly supported Grameen Bank in retaining its independence and demanded fair trial of the lawsuit filed by Prof Yunus.
The comments came following the Bangladesh government's decision to remove Prof Yunus from the post of managing director of Grameen Bank.
Dr Yunus was unceremoniously relieved of his duties on March 2 through a Bangladesh Bank letter on grounds that his reappointment was not done in line with the laws that govern the microfinance bank.
The move sparked outrage at home and abroad and prompted calls from the international community to reach a compromise.
Prof Yunus challenged Bangladesh Bank's decision at the Supreme Court that will hear his petition this week.
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