EVOLUTION AND CONTEMPORARY TRENDS OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY SYSTEM

The growth dynamics of international exchange and capital flows is conditioned by the efficiency of the international monetary system whose basic task is to provide for international liquidity and smooth international payments. The tendencies in international economic relations in the time of globalisation have determined further directions for the development of the international monetary system. The breakup of the Bretton-Woods System initiated the establishment of a new European monetary system with the aim to stabilise the exchange rates and improve further process of integration and international economic relations. In this research paper we have pointed out to the fact that economic interdependence of souvereign countries leads to coordination of macroeconomic policies, and that it can motivate monetary integration within the monetary policy. The objective of this research paper is to emphasize the stability of the international monetary system as a prerequisite for sustainable growth of national economies and monetary union. The contemporary international monetary system is characterised by the trend of reduced number of national currencies, as this is a logical conseqence of increasing European integrations, but also beacuase of significant economic advanatages. Simultaneously, the costs of the euro changeover and introduction of a common currency are lower if economic performances of member countries mutualy converge.