The International Monetary Fund has designated Ron van Rooden as the leader of its mission to Syria, as stated by Syria’s Finance Minister Mohammed Yosr Bernieh in a written announcement, making him the first mission chief for the country since the onset of war 14 years ago. Bernieh noted that van Rooden’s appointment was made ‘following our request’ and shared a LinkedIn post featuring a handshake with van Rooden during the annual IMF-World Bank Spring meetings in Washington, D.C.
‘This significant appointment represents a crucial step and facilitates constructive dialogue between the IMF and Syria, aimed at promoting Syria’s economic recovery and enhancing the welfare of the Syrian populace,’ Bernieh expressed. The IMF press office has not yet responded to a request for comment, but a source familiar with the IMF’s decisions regarding Syria has confirmed van Rooden’s appointment.
According to the IMF’s website, Syria has not engaged in any transactions with the fund for the past 40 years, with the last IMF mission visit occurring in late 2009, prior to the protests against then-leader Bashar al-Assad. Assad’s repression sparked a full-scale conflict that devastated much of the nation before he was ousted in a rapid rebel offensive last December, leading to an Islamist-led government now in power.
The new leadership is eager to restore Syria’s regional and international relations, rebuild the nation, and secure the lifting of stringent U.S. sanctions to revitalize its economy. Bernieh and Syria’s central bank governor Abdelkader Husrieh are participating in the annual spring meetings in Washington, marking the first attendance of a high-level Syrian government delegation at these meetings in at least 20 years, and the first official visit by Syria’s new authorities to the U.S. since Assad’s removal.
On Tuesday, the finance minister of Saudi Arabia and the World Bank jointly organized a roundtable discussion focused on Syria. In a separate post on LinkedIn, Bernieh characterized the event as “highly successful” and noted the “unprecedented” enthusiasm for aiding Syria’s reconstruction efforts.
A senior representative from the United Nations Development Programme informed Reuters last week that the agency intends to provide $1.3 billion in assistance to Syria over the upcoming three years.
