Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday met International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde on the sidelines of the second Belt and Road Forum (BRF) here.
After the meeting, the IMF chief, in a social media post, said that she was glad to meet the Pakistani prime minister and that a comprehensive policy package was discussed during the meeting to alleviate Pakistan’s economy. “We discussed prospects for a comprehensive policy package and international financial support to help stabilise the economy of Pakistan, and also the need to strengthen governance and protect the poor,” she said.
The meeting reviewed the relationship between Pakistan and the IMF. The prime minister identified the areas of reform and initiatives being undertaken by the government to stabilize the economy, control inflation and achieve fiscal balance.
The two leaders agreed on the importance of the IMF programme and to work towards an agreement for which fund’s delegation is coming to Islamabad.
WB vows to further strengthen cooperation with Pakistan
The two sides agreed on the need for a social safety net for the vulnerable groups of the society.
The Prime Minister Imran Khan also held a meeting with World Bank (WB) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kristalina Georgieva. He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Adviser on Finance Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and Advisor on Commerce Abdul Razaq Dawood.
The prime minister informed the WB CEO of the recent steps taken by the government for improving the economic and fiscal situation of the country. He appreciated the role played by the bank in regional connectivity, poverty alleviation, financial management, provisional projects, DASU and other infrastructure projects and ease of doing business. The prime minister also informed the CEO about the socio-economic uplift measures taken up by the government and creation of ‘Ehsaas’ social welfare programme. The WB CEO pledged to further strengthen cooperation with Pakistan in the areas of disbursements programme, lending and guarantees provided for raising external funds.
