The Monetary Fund appoints the first head of the mission to Syria in 14 years Economy news

Veteran International Monetary Fund, Ron Van Roden, was appointed head of his mission to Syria, in the first step of its kind since the outbreak of the war in the country 14 years ago, according to Syrian Finance Minister Mohamed Youser Burniyah in an official statement published after his participation in the annual spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund in Washington, which started on the 21st of this month and ends on 26 of it.

Reuters explained that the appointment of Van Roden came “at the request of the Syrian government”, where Minister Bernia published a picture of the new head of the mission through his account on the “LinkedIn” platform, describing the appointment as “an important step that paves the way for a constructive dialogue between the Monetary Fund and Syria, with a joint goal of advancing the economic recovery and improving the livelihood of the Syrian people.”

According to the official website of the International Monetary Fund, Syria had no official dealings with the Foundation during the past forty years, and the last mission visited Damascus in late 2009, that is, before the outbreak of protests against former President Bashar al -Assad.

Reuters also quoted a source informed of his confirmation of the validity of the appointment of Van Roden, despite the failure of the Monetary Fund press office to issue an official statement until the moment.

This appointment is an indication of the beginning of a shift in the relationship between Syria and international financial institutions, especially in light of the new endeavors made by the current Syrian leadership to rehabilitate the country economically and politically after changing power last December.

Van Roden was the position of assistant director in the Middle East and Central Asia administration in the IMF, and is currently overseeing the fund mission to Jordan. He also has experience in working with countries outside conflicts, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Yemen, according to the Syrian minister in his post.

This step comes in parallel with the efforts of the new Syrian government to rebuild Syria’s regional and international relations, and to lift the US and Western sanctions imposed for years, in an attempt to revive the exhausted national economy and attract international support for the post -war.