The delegation from Chisinau, led by the Minister of Finance, Dumitru Budianschi, and the Governor of the National Bank, Octavian Armașu, had bilateral meetings with officials of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank Group (WBG), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and members of the IMF/WBG Constituency, at the annual Spring Meetings of the IMF and the World Bank Group, which took place on 19-24 April 2022 in Washington D.C.
Discussions mainly focused on the implementation of the program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the global economic situation and that of the Republic of Moldova, bilateral cooperation, the effects of the war in Ukraine, the fight against inflation, etc. Thus, the representatives of Moldova had meetings with Ruben Atoyan (IMF Mission Chief for Moldova), Alfred Kammer (Director of the European Department of IMF) and his team, Kenji Okamura (Deputy Managing Director of IMF), Paul Hilbers (IMF Executive Director for Moldova), Koen Davidse (Executive Director for Moldova at the World Bank Group), Anna Bjerde (World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia), Odile Renaud-Basso (EBRD President).
The Governor of the National Bank of Moldova, Octavian Armașu, also held talks with the Governors of the Central Banks of Lithuania - Gediminas Šimkus, Belgium - Pierre Wunsch, and the Netherlands - Klaas Knot. The topics addressed in this format further focused on the impact of the armed conflict in Ukraine on the macroeconomic situation in these countries, measures to reduce inflationary pressures, and support for Ukrainian refugees in Moldova. During these meetings, officials also spoke about the reform agenda in the banking sector of the Republic of Moldova, which proved its resilience during the last crises, as well as the ongoing Twinning project, recently launched to strengthen our financial system. The heads of the central banks of Lithuania, Belgium, and the Netherlands have shown openness and support for the reforms carried out by the National Bank of Moldova.
The delegation of the Republic of Moldova also included Ion Gumene, State Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, and Arcadie Albul and Constantin Șchendra, Deputy Governors of the National Bank.
The Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are a major opportunity for an exchange of experiences and views of various countries in the fields of economic development and financial stability in the context of current and long-term regional and global developments.
