IMF : To carry on cooperating with Russia after Kudrin's resignation

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said it would follow its commitments with Russian authorities despite Moscow's decision to sack its finance leader Alexei Kudrin. The IMF said in a statement said that it has strong relations with Russia and intends to carry on with them in the future. Alexei Kudrin resigned on Monday as Russia's finance minister and deputy prime minister after a dispute with President Dmitry Medvedev. Kudrin, 50, served as finance minister since 2000. During this time the Russian government paid off most of its substantial foreign debt and created oil wealth funds to soften the blow of the global slump.