"An IMF team will be in Baku during Jan. 28-Feb. 4 for a fact-finding staff visit at the authorities' request. The team will discuss areas for technical assistance and assess possible financing needs," an IMF spokesman said.
The Financial Times reported that IMF and World Bank officials were discussing a possible $4 billion emergency loan package that could be the first of several bailouts for oil-exporting countries spurred by plunging oil prices. IMF and World Bank spokesmen declined to confirm the amount.