WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Kazakhstan’s economy has been struggling with falling commodity prices as well as general economic slowdown in the region, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde said in a press release on Tuesday.
"The country faces new challenges due to the decline in commodity prices and the slowdown of key regional economies," Lagarde stated.
The IMF chief made the statement upon concluding her visit to the country, where she attended the Astana Economic Forum that serves as an international and Central Asian platform for dialogue.
Lagarde said the forum had allowed deepening the dialogue on the strong policy responses needed to address existing economic challenges.
"We at the IMF believe that Central Asia region can increasingly serve as a bridge between Europe and China and serve as a hub for new activities in logistics and communications, energy and green industries, and agriculture," she added.
During the visit, Lagarde also met with Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Prime Minister Karim Massimov, according to the release.
