WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday it was appropriate for the U.S. Federal Reserve to begin a long-awaited monetary easing cycle at its meeting next week as upside risks to inflation have subsided.

IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack told a regular news briefing that the IMF expected the U.S. economy to slow over the rest of the year, and that this would be reflected in its updated World Economic Outlook forecasts in October.