IMF: We are officially communicating with Syria and are ready to support it

Washington, SANA – Jihad Azour, IMF Middle East and Central Asia director, affirmed the existence of official communication between the Syrian government and the Fund, and indicated the Fund’s readiness to support Syria.

In an interview with Jordanian television channel al Mamlaka, published on Sunday, Azour noted to Syria’s participation in International Monetary Fund meetings for the first time in two decades.

He revealed official communication between the Syrian government and the Fund, including several meetings in which Damascus “submitted a request to revive its relations” with the fund and reactivate its membership, “which was not officially frozen, but was almost inactive during the war that began in 2011.”

Azour underscored the Fund’s readiness to support Syria and all member states, explaining that the absence of economic data on Syria in the Fund’s latest report “is due to the unavailability of official figures from the Syrian authorities due to the war and their lack of the technical capabilities necessary to compile statistics over the past years.”

He added that the IMF’s recent spring meetings in Washington included a high-level session to discuss the Syrian situation, current challenges, and ways to enhance cooperation with Damascus in the coming period.

Finance Minister Mohammad Yasser Barnia had previously announced in a written statement that the International Monetary Fund had appointed Ron van Rooden to be the first head of the Fund’s mission to Syria since the outbreak of the revolution against the former al-Assad regime 14 years ago.

He said, “This appointment is an important step and paves the way for a constructive dialogue between the International Monetary Fund and Syria, with the shared goal of advancing economic recovery in Syria and improving the living conditions of the Syrian people.”

A high-level meeting held in Washington, on the sidelines of 2025 World Bank –IMF Spring Meetings, affirmed a collective commitment to support the Syrian government’s efforts to achieve recovery and development, in light of the urgent economic challenges facing the country, according to a joint statement issued by Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan, IMF Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, and World Bank Group President Ajay Banga.

Rafah al-Allouni/Manar Salameh