Delegates walk out of IMF meeting in Bangkok as Russian Finance Minister begins speech
Representatives of several countries left the hall as Anton Siluanov spoke at the IMF steering committee meeting, though the committee later agreed the chair's final statement.
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Russia's participation in the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Bangkok has triggered a major diplomatic row. Representatives of other countries were thoroughly displeased at the sight of the Russian delegation. At the meeting of the IMF steering committee on October 17, delegates from several countries walked out of the hall as soon as Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov began to speak, registering their protest in this way.
Siluanov began his speech in Russian. The moment he uttered the first word, representatives of countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia rose abruptly and began leaving the hall. Representatives of Britain, France and Germany also joined the protest. Joachim Nagel of Germany's Bundesbank said nearly 50 per cent of the delegates took part in the protest.
A European diplomatic official spoke with deep feeling. His position is that Europe cannot accept normal relations with Russia while ignoring the attack on Ukraine's sovereignty. Global political analysts say the walkout is a consequence of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, Russia's participation in international economic forums has remained contentious. In this period, several countries have joined together to impose certain sanctions on Russia. European countries are opposing easy acceptance of Russia at international forums. The United States, on the other hand, has backed Russia's participation.
According to the United States, dialogue must continue if an international crisis is to be resolved. The US is therefore arguing that Russia should be engaged in talks rather than kept away from discussions altogether. This also shows a difference between the positions of the US and European countries on the issue.
Despite the controversy, the IMF steering committee finally agreed the chair's final statement. The committee chair, Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan, acknowledged the differences among delegates. However, he said it was important that all members agreed the final statement.
