Reserve assets consist of those external assets that are readily available to and controlled by a country’s authorities for direct financing of international payments imbalances, for indirect regulation of the magnitude of such imbalances through intervention in foreign exchange markets to affect their currency’s exchange rate, and for other purposes. The category of reserve assets defined in the IMF Balance of Payments Manuel, Fifth Edition comprises monetary gold, special drawing rights (SDRs), reserve position in the IMF, foreign exchange assets (consisting of currency, and deposits and securities), and other claims.