The International Monetary Fund (IMF) advised central banks to 'closely monitor the situation of rising energy prices and consider the impact on second-round inflation expectations.' 'The work between IMF staff and authorities is close,' Julie Kozack, the fund's spokesperson, simply replied. Kozack stated that 'over the past two weeks, the global environment has become more complicated, and in this context, she believes Argentina is in a more comfortable position to withstand the effects of the war in the Middle East due to its status as an energy exporter.' 'Argentina was able to address the shock quite well because it is now a net energy exporter. In 2022, during the last major price shock, Argentina was a net importer, and now it is a net energy exporter. This represents a very important difference compared to the last energy price shock,' she elaborated. However, she said that it is necessary to 'recognize that the situation is under constant evaluation and is uncertain.' Buenos Aires, March 19 (NA) – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) continues to delay the approval of the second review of the ongoing program, which would trigger a disbursement of US$1,000 million. 'The discussions for the second review and Article IV are ongoing, and we will provide more information as these conversations progress,' stated the fund's spokesperson, Julie Kozack. On Thursday, the spokesperson referred to the state of relations between Argentina and the IMF during a press conference in Washington, in which the Argentine News Agency (NA) participated virtually. Kozack highlighted the progress the country has made in terms of reforms but avoided commenting on the current situation and some unfavorable indicators that have emerged in recent weeks. A month after the audit, the IMF still has the approval of the last review pending. 'There are still ongoing advances. It was US$8,000 million in oil and gas last year.'
