Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Washington, SANA- The International Monetary Fund (IFM) and the World Bank welcomed in a joint statement on Thursday the efforts to help Syria reintegrate into the international community.
Agence France-Presse reported that the joint statement expressed “broad awareness of the pressing challenges facing the Syrian economy and a collective commitment to supporting the Syrian authorities’ efforts towards recovery and development.”
The statement clarified that priority will be given to efforts aimed at meeting the basic needs of the Syrian people, rebuilding institutions, and developing a national strategy for economic recovery.
During a press conference, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva said that “Our goal is, above all to help Syria rebuild its institutions so that it can integrate into the global economy.”
Georgieva noted that they had held a meeting with Syria earlier this week, attended by the Syrian Central Bank Governor and Finance Minister, for the first time in more than 20 years.
Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund, Jihad Azour said that Syria has been absent from the international scene for the past 15 years and that the country’s engagement with the International Monetary Fund has been very limited since 2011.
He emphasized that the international community today is actively engaged in exploring how Syria can recover after a long war.
Nisreen Othman / Fedaa
