BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 4. The current state
and priorities of Azerbaijan's cooperation with the International
Monetary Fund (IMF) were discussed, Trend reports via Azerbaijan's Ministry of
Finance.


According to information, on February 4, the Minister of Finance
of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Sahil Babayev, met with the
Executive Director of the Selection Group of the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), which includes Azerbaijan, Patrick Loshevsky,
as well as the head of the Fund's mission in Azerbaijan, Anna
Bordon, who is visiting our country.


The meeting discussed the current state and prospects of
Azerbaijan's cooperation with the IMF, and emphasized the
importance of capacity building and strengthening technical
assistance mechanisms, taking into account the institutional and
structural reforms being carried out in the country. In this
context, a broad exchange of views took place on the main
directions of fiscal and monetary policy, maintaining macroeconomic
and financial stability, and increasing resilience to risks created
by global economic processes.


Minister Sahil Babayev, noting the importance of long-term and
trust-based cooperation between Azerbaijan and the IMF, stated that
Article IV consultations are not only a regular mechanism for
dialogue for the government, but also an important platform for
macroeconomic assessment. The minister stressed that maintaining
macroeconomic and financial stability remains one of the
government's top priorities, with fiscal policy being shaped by the
principles of sustainability and efficiency. The effective use of
public resources, strengthening medium-term budget planning, and
increasing resilience to external shocks are the main areas of
reform.


Anna Bordon, head of the IMF mission to Azerbaijan, noted that
the country's fiscal and monetary policies play an important role
in strengthening macroeconomic stability and ensuring long-term
development. She also stressed the importance of technical
assistance and capacity-building mechanisms of the IMF in
supporting institutional reforms, strengthening the resilience of
the financial sector, and ensuring the sustainable implementation
of economic policies.







Patrick Loshevsky, Executive Director of the Election Group,
stated that the IMF had positively assessed the measures taken by
Azerbaijan to strengthen macroeconomic stability and deepen
structural reforms.


The meeting also touched upon the issue of increasing the IMF's
capacity and the existing imbalance in the distribution of
technical assistance resources to Azerbaijan. Babayev noted that,
given the scale of the institutional and advanced reforms being
carried out, it would be advisable to review the distribution of
resources across the region in a more balanced manner. At the same
time, the issue of the limited representation of Azerbaijani
experts in the IMF was raised, and the importance of strengthening
the representation of staff in the Fund against the backdrop of
Azerbaijan's growing economic potential was noted.


The parties exchanged views on further deepening cooperation
between Azerbaijan and the IMF, continuing institutional dialogue,
and other issues of mutual interest.