US mum after Russia names candidate in IMF race

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WASHINGTON, Aug 23 (AFP): The United States declined to publicly take sides yesterday after the emergence of a Russian-nominated candidate to head the International Monetary Fund (IMF), saying it looked forward "to speaking with any candidate."
Russia unexpectedly announced earlier Wednesday it was nominating former Czech premier and ex-central bank chief Josef Tosovsky to stand against the European Union candidate, former French finance minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
The US Treasury did not comment directly on Tosovsky but said it was looking forward to collaborating in the process of finding a successor to IMF managing director Rodrigo Rato.
"We look forward to working with our colleagues at the Fund to select a new managing director who will continue the reform efforts at the IMF and provide leadership to this vital institution," said Ann-Marie Hauser, spokeswoman for international affairs at the US Treasury.
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson "looks forward to speaking with any candidate," she added.
The Washington-based IMF acknowledged that a second European candidate has entered the race to head the financial institution.