Washington, April 20 (SANA) The Syrian delegation participating in the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings held talks with World Bank Managing Director of Operations Anna Bjerde on expanding support for recovery projects in Syria.
The delegation, led by Finance Minister Mohammed Yisr Barnieh and Central Bank governor Abdulkader Husrieh, said discussions included a previously agreed-on portfolio of 10 grant-funded projects valued at more than $1 billion over three years.
Officials stressed the importance of strong governance and oversight to ensure effective implementation, and called for additional grant funding to support economic reforms and social protection programs amid global economic pressures.
The delegation presented Syria’s economic recovery plan, including the “Syria Without Camps” initiative and a national poverty reduction strategy, as a framework for further cooperation with the World Bank and international partners.
Talks also covered the outcomes of a recent Friends of Syria roundtable, with the delegation thanking the World Bank for organizing the meeting and noting the level of international support. It said it hoped this momentum would translate into expanded capacity-building and training efforts.
The delegation also discussed establishing a multi-donor trust fund aligned with national recovery priorities and welcomed plans to open a World Bank office in Damascus to support coordination and project implementation. Officials further called for expanding the recruitment of Syrian staff within World Bank institutions to strengthen knowledge transfer.
Bjerde reaffirmed the World Bank’s support for Syria’s reform agenda and expressed hope that successful implementation of current projects could lead to increased funding. She also accepted an invitation to visit Damascus, according to the delegation.
In a separate meeting, Barnieh and Husrieh held talks with Islamic Financial Services Board CEO Ghiath Shabsigh on technical cooperation in Islamic banking, including advisory support for sovereign bond issuance, and discussed plans to establish a Center of Excellence for Islamic banking at the Central Bank in line with international standards.
The Syrian delegation participated in the Spring Meetings held April 13–18, which brought together global officials to discuss economic outlooks, development challenges and financial stability.
M.F / ABD
