WASHINGTON - Following a request by the Portuguese authorities, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) experts will join the European Commission and European Central Bank teams for a technical assessment of the current situation of the Portuguese economy on April 12, Caroline Atkinson, Director of External Relations at the IMF, said Sunday in a statement.

"This will serve as basis for the policy discussions that will start the following Monday, April 18," according to the statement.

The IMF announced Friday that it has received a request from Portugal and is poised to help the nation meet the economic challenges it is facing.