Syria ministers to attend IMF, World Bank meetings next week: Sources
Syrian ministers and the country's central bank chief are to take part in the International Monetary Fund and World Bank's spring meetings in Washington next week, two sources told AFP on Monday.
Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani, Finance Minister Mohammed Barnieh and central bank governor Abdul Qadir al-Hasriya were set to join the April 21-26 meetings, a source with knowledge of the meetings said, requesting anonymity as they were not authorized to brief media.
The officials would raise 'supporting Syria's reconstruction and economic recovery after years of conflict,' said the source, adding it would be a 'long process.'
A Syrian foreign ministry source confirmed the officials would attend, and said Economy Minister Mohammed al-Shaar would also be part of the delegation.
Opposition forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December after nearly 14 years of civil war that killed more than 500,000 people, displaced millions and wrecked the country's infrastructure and industry.
Syria's new rulers have been trying to restore ties to international institutions to support the country's reconstruction and revive its economy, and are pushing for al-Assad-era sanctions to be lifted.
The World Bank suspended operations in Syria when war broke out after al-Assad's government repressed pro-democracy protests.
A report published in February by the United Nations Development Program put the country's total estimated 'lost' gross domestic product from 2011 to 2024 at $800 billion, with 90 percent of the population unable to afford essential goods.
On Monday in Damascus, finance minister Barnieh met a technical delegation from the World Bank, state news agency SANA reported, to discuss developing and modernizing Syria's banks.
Barnieh stressed Syria's 'keenness' to boost economic ties with the World Bank and underlined the 'negative effects' of Western sanctions on the country's banking and finance sector, SANA added.
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