Baltic and Nordic countries criticise IMF’s decision to renew contact with Russian authorities

13/09/2024 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 13 September in Budapest, Hungary’s Finance Minister Mihály Varga confirmed that several European Union countries - including the Baltic states and the Nordic countries - had criticised the IMF’s decision to resume discussions with the Russian authorities on the economic situation in Russia, after 2 years of suspended cooperation. The IMF’s Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, explained that the international financial organisation obeyed an internal rule consisting of producing reports on the state of the economies of member countries. Although she was not in Budapest, the Lithuanian minister, Gintarė Skaistė, said she was “shocked” by the IMF’s decision, on the X network. “Any resumption of cooperation with Russia would be a sign that a step is being taken towards the normalisation of relations with [Ukraine’s military] aggressor”, she said. (MB)