Finance minister meets US Treasury officials, other leaders on sidelines of WB-IMF Spring Meetings

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb held a meeting on economic cooperation with officials of the United States Department of the Treasury on the sidelines of the World Bank-International Monetary Fund (WB-IMF) Spring Meetings 2026 in Washington, DC, the finance ministry said on Saturday.

Aurangzeb arrived in the United States on Monday to participate in the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings 2026, taking place from April 13 to 18 in Washington, DC. The Spring Meetings bring together finance ministers, central bank governors, policymakers and development experts from around the world amid ongoing global economic uncertainty.

Alongside the Spring Meetings, Aurangzeb held a productive meeting with Francis Brooke, the deputy secretary at the US Treasury department, the ministry said in a post on X.

“The finance minister shared an overview of Pakistan’s macroeconomic stabilisation, its planned re-entry into international capital markets, and its external debt management strategy,” it said.

He highlighted key investment opportunities in Pakistan’s minerals and energy sectors, and briefed the Treasury leadership on progress and prospects in digital and virtual asset regulation, the statement added.

Aurangzeb also reaffirmed the “depth and strength of bilateral economic engagement” and underscored the importance of continued US support for Pakistan’s programme with the IMF.

Separately, the minister also held a meeting with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) President Zou Jiayi on the sidelines of the meetings, where he appreciated AIIB’s robust engagement in Pakistan through an ongoing portfolio of approximately $1.7 billion, with an additional $1bn in the pipeline.

He also briefed her on the economic implications of the ongoing regional situation, particularly its impact on Pakistan’s energy supply chain, and highlighted Pakistan’s recent return to international capital markets, including the launch of a Eurobond through private placement after a gap of four years.

Aurangzeb invited AIIB to align its engagement with Pakistan’s infrastructure priorities and strategic development focus, the ministry said.

“Both sides acknowledged that Pakistan’s disbursement performance with AIIB has lagged behind that of other multilateral partners, including the World Bank and ADB,” it added.

More to follow