MADRID (AP) — Spain’s economy minister played down the International Monetary Fund’s forecast that the Spanish economy will contract by 1.3 percent next year — more than double its previous predictions — saying Tuesday that the forecast is not written in stone.

Speaking in Luxembourg, Luis de Guindos said he respected the IMF’s forecast, which is also more than double the Spanish government’s prediction, just like any other but added, “We start from the premise that that we don’t want such predictions of economic growth to come true.”