Andrew Bailey joins IMF meeting walkout over Russian speech

The Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey, took part in a walkout of international finance leaders at an International Monetary Fund meeting in Bangkok, the Guardian reported. Bailey joined finance officials from France, Germany, and several Scandinavian and Baltic nations who left the room when Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov addressed the session in Russian. [1]

According to the Guardian, nearly half of all delegates joined the protest. Joachim Nagel, the president of the German Bundesbank, stated that almost 50 percent of the attendees took part in leaving the session. [1]

The walkout occurred alongside other developments at the summit, where Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul played the saxophone at an IMF and World Bank reception to promote Thai culture, Nation Thailand reported. [3]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, the annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Bangkok have faced local opposition. Hundreds of protesters marched through the city on October 15 to oppose the gathering, leading police to block routes near the venue following minor scuffles. [8]