Syria's Finance Minister Holds Talks with IMF Mission on Economic Recovery Priorities

Meeting Context and Objectives

Syrian Finance Minister Mohammad Yasser Barnieh met on Monday with an International Monetary Fund (IMF) consultation mission visiting Damascus this week. The discussions, held at the Ministry of Finance headquarters, focused on Syria's economic and financial developments and the priorities of the coming period, within a framework of supporting economic recovery and strengthening technical cooperation between the two sides.

Key Areas of Discussion

The Ministry of Finance, through its official Telegram channel, stated that the meeting addressed several core topics, including:

• Developing a medium-term macroeconomic and fiscal framework.
• Improving the quality of economic and financial data.
• Strengthening coordination among government agencies to build more efficient and precise fiscal policies.

Public Debt and Financial Sector Reform

The two sides also discussed public debt sustainability, financial sector reform, and the development of tax administration. The meeting addressed the Ministry's efforts to develop modern financing instruments, including sovereign sukuk, and to support the role of financial markets in the period ahead.

Institutional Capacity Building

Both parties reaffirmed the importance of continued cooperation in capacity building and the development of financial institutions, with the aim of reinforcing economic stability and creating a more supportive environment for investment and growth.

Background

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Finance had already engaged with the IMF mission on building a medium-term public finance framework and supporting fiscal planning in preparation for the 2027 budget and beyond.