Government yields to IMF demands

Uzbekistan on Wednesday said it was ready to cooperate with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a week after the fund announced it was to cut its presence in the country to a minimum, Reuters reported. The IMF, in protest against the authorities’ reluctance to introduce a unified exchange rate and to liberalise the economy, said last week it would not replace its resident representative, Christoph Rosenberg, after he departed Tashkent on 14 April. Instead, it would communicate with the government via a local liaison officer and visiting missions. Reports on Wednesday indicated the Uzbek authorities had appeared responsive. In a letter to the IMF dated 30 March, Uzbek President Islam Karimov confirmed his government’s commitment to economic liberalisation and speedier market reforms, as well as his intention to widen cooperation with the IMF to deepen the process, Reuters reported. The government requested a visit by an IMF mission in May to discuss a staff-monitored programme.