The Finance Minister of Saudi Arabia, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the President of the World Bank Group (WBG) issued a joint statement concerning Syria's economic situation and recovery. The statement came from a roundtable event during the 2025 WBG/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, DC, which included Syrian authorities and various international financial stakeholders.
According to the statement, "On the sidelines of the 2025WBG/IMF Spring Meetings in Washington, we co-hosted a high-level roundtable for Syria, bringing together the Syrian authorities, finance ministers, and key stakeholders from multilateral and regional financial institutions, as well as economic and development partners."
The event followed previous discussions at the Paris Conference on Syria, the Al Ula roundtable, and the Brussels IX conference. These gatherings aimed to showcase Syria's ongoing efforts to stabilize its economy and foster long-term development.
"There was broad recognition of the urgent challenges facing the Syrian economy and a collective commitment to support the authorities' efforts for recovery and development," the statement noted. The focus will be on addressing the immediate needs of the Syrian populace, rebuilding institutions, implementing policy reforms, and crafting a national economic recovery strategy.
The statement emphasized that the IMF and WBG are expected to play significant roles in supporting Syria's recovery, coordinating with other international partners. It also highlighted the importance of reintegrating Syria with the global community and supporting the country's policy initiatives and efforts in private sector development.
"We welcome the efforts to help Syria reintegrate with the international community and unlock access to resources... We also support the Syrian authorities’ efforts to strengthen governance and increase transparency," the statement said.
Gratitude was extended to those participating in the roundtable for their continued support. The parties plan to reconvene in October 2025 during the IMF and WBG Annual Meetings to evaluate progress in Syria's economic recovery.