Arabs, Indonesia Back Lagarde For IMF Top Job

French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde, who has been on a whirlwind tour touting her credentials to head the International Monetary Fund, on Sunday won the backing of Egypt, Indonesia and the UAE.

In Cairo, Foreign Minister Nabil al-Arabi announced Egypt's support for Lagarde, who is running against Mexico's central bank chief Agustin Carstens and dark horse candidate Stanley Fischer, governor of the Bank of Israel.

"The Egyptian government supports the candidacy of French Finance Minister Christine Lagarde for the post of managing director of the IMF," the official MENA news agency quoted Arabi as saying, after he met Lagarde in Cairo.