UPDATE 1-IMF wants to "deepen" dialogue with Argentina

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WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund is interested in resuming dialogue with Argentina, a fund spokesman said on Thursday, indicating ties may be thawing between Buenos Aires and the Washington-based lender.

"In the context of the global crisis we are working closely with all our members and are interested in deepening our dialogue with Argentina," IMF spokesman David Hawley told a news briefing.

Hawley said the fund would conduct an economic assessment of Argentina's economy in the "months ahead."

The multilateral lender has not done a routine annual review of Argentina since 2006, when the center-left government used central bank reserves to pay off its IMF debt to gain greater independence in policy-making.

Argentina blames the fund for helping set the stage for the country's 2001-02 economic meltdown, which prompted a massive debt default and devaluation of the local peso currency.

The South American country has enjoyed strong growth in recent years but gross domestic product is expected to stagnate in 2009 as investment and commodity prices fall victim to the world economic slowdown. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)