FM Sitharaman to attend IMF and World Bank meetings in Bangkok

FM Sitharaman to attend IMF and World Bank meetings in Bangkok

New Delhi, Oct 14 (IANS) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was set to undertake an official visit to Bangkok, Thailand from October 14-18 to participate in the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group, along with meetings of the G20 and G7 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors, according to an official statement issued on Wednesday.

During the visit, the Finance Minister will participate in a series of multilateral meetings and discussions on key global economic and financial issues, including current economic developments and financial sector issues. These engagements will provide an opportunity to exchange perspectives on the global economic outlook, development priorities, and international financial cooperation.

She was also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with Ekniti Nitithanprapas, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the Kingdom of Thailand, and the Finance Ministers of Switzerland, Japan, Luxembourg, Bhutan and Curacao.

The Finance Minister will also meet Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the IMF; and Governor of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), said the statement.

In addition to the ministerial engagements, Sitharaman will participate in discussions and events involving global policymakers, financial institutions, and other stakeholders.

These include an Atlantic Council fire-side chat on India’s growth outlook, trade resilience and outreach, reform of the international financial architecture, India and the ASEAN, and the road to 'Viksit Bharat 2047,' among the topics, and a Germany side event on 'Working Together to Make Cities Investable – Mobilising Private Capital for Urban and Water Infrastructure'.

The engagements will provide a platform to highlight India’s economic performance, reform priorities and investment opportunities, while strengthening dialogue and cooperation with international partners on issues of global economic significance.

The visit underscores India’s active engagement with multilateral institutions and its commitment to constructive international cooperation on global economic and financial challenges, the statement added.

--IANS

sps/na