IMF Delays Economic Consultations with Russia Amid Ongoing Tensions

The International Monetary Fund has postponed planned economic consultations with Russia, initially scheduled for this week, to gather more data for a comprehensive assessment. This would have been the first 'Article IV' evaluation since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The delay comes amid objections from European countries.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has postponed its planned economic consultations with Russia, originally set to begin this week. The decision aims to allow more time for data collection and analysis to ensure a thorough evaluation.

This assessment, known as the 'Article IV' consultation, would have been the IMF's first review of Moscow's economic policies since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The move follows objections from several European nations concerned that the consultations could be seen as a normalization of relations with Russia.

An IMF spokesperson confirmed the postponement in an emailed statement, but provided no specifics on when the consultations might take place. Alexei Mozhin, Russia's IMF director, attributed the delay to technical reasons, including the mission's unpreparedness. The decision was communicated on Monday, the day the mission intended to start online consultations, which were to be followed by a delegation visit to Moscow.

(With inputs from agencies.)