The meetings bring together senior economic officials from member countries to address global economic challenges, strengthen international cooperation, mobilize development financing and explore ways to enhance economic resilience.
According to Shada, Iran’s economic news agency, the annual meetings are being held in Bangkok from October 12 to 18, bringing together finance ministers and senior economic officials from around the world, including Iran’s economy minister.
Iran’s participation provides an opportunity to engage with senior international financial and economic officials. On the sidelines of the main sessions, Madanizadeh has also taken part in bilateral and multilateral meetings focused on international economic issues and developments.
Global economic challenges shape discussions
This year’s meetings are taking place as the global economy faces multiple, overlapping challenges, including geopolitical tensions, rising public debt, trade uncertainty, climate change and rapid technological advances. International cooperation and the exchange of views on economic and fiscal policies are therefore among the key themes of the Bangkok gathering.
In her opening address, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva thanked the Thai government and people for hosting the meetings and stressed the need for countries to work together to address global economic challenges.
She highlighted the significant opportunities that emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, quantum computing and financial technologies, could create for economic growth, while noting that they also present new risks.
Georgieva also pointed to the global economy’s relative resilience in the face of recent shocks, including wars, energy crises and heightened trade uncertainty, emphasizing the importance of sound policymaking to maintain economic stability and resilience.
Investment, jobs and development financing in focus
World Bank Group President Ajay Banga highlighted the importance of boosting investment, creating jobs and making greater use of private capital to support economic growth.
Strengthening the private sector, reforming financing frameworks and ensuring debt sustainability are among the other issues under discussion at the meetings.
Iran’s participation alongside economic officials from other member countries reflects its engagement in international dialogue on global economic developments and the challenges facing the world economy.
Calls for stronger international cooperation
In his address, Thailand’s prime minister reflected on the transformation of the global economy over the past 35 years, highlighting the expansion of artificial intelligence, rising geopolitical tensions, disruptions to trade and investment flows, and intensifying climate challenges.
He also underscored Thailand’s and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)’s potential to connect markets, capital, technology and human resources.
In a separate address, the chair of the meetings’ Board of Governors identified rising global debt, higher financing costs, trade tensions, wars and climate crises as major sources of uncertainty for the world economy.
The address also emphasized the need for international financial institutions to adapt to changing global conditions and respond more effectively to the needs of developing countries.
Other key topics on the agenda of the IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings include the global economic outlook, financial stability, poverty reduction, inclusive growth, job creation, the economic implications of artificial intelligence, and the development of institutional capacity.