IMF Breaks the Stalemate: Appointment of the First Mission Chief for Syria in 14 Years
April 24, 2025, 1:25 pm

IMF Breaks the Stalemate: Appointment of the First Mission Chief for Syria in 14 Years

أول رئيس بعثة لسوريا منذ 14 عاماً

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced the appointment of a new mission chief for Syria, marking the first time this position has been filled since the start of the civil war in 2011. This appointment coincides with a visit by a high-level Syrian financial delegation to the IMF this week.

Syrian Finance Minister Mohammad Yaser Bruniyeh announced in a statement released on Wednesday that the IMF has appointed "Ron van Roden" as the head of its mission in Syria, at the request of Damascus. Bruniyeh participated in a LinkedIn post showing him shaking hands with van Roden during the annual spring meetings of the IMF and the World Bank in Washington, held from April 21 to 26.

Bruniyeh emphasized that this appointment represents "an important step paving the way for constructive dialogue between the IMF and Syria, aimed at promoting the recovery of the Syrian economy and improving the well-being of the Syrian people." He is accompanied in the meetings by the Central Bank governor, Abdul Qadir Hasrieh, marking the first visit of its kind to the United States since the overthrow of Bashar Assad’s regime on December 8.

The IMF's appointment represents an additional shift towards gradually reintegrating Syria into the global financial system. The new Syrian government has expressed its intention to liberalize the economy after years of isolation under the Assad regime. The new administration is tasked with rebuilding an economy severely affected by war, burdened by debt and international sanctions.

According to the IMF's website, Syria has not had any financial dealings with the fund for the past forty years, with the last IMF mission to the country occurring in late 2009. Recently, the Syrian government has demonstrated its willingness to economically open up and reintegrate into the global financial system by sending high-level delegations to international conferences such as the IMF and World Bank meetings and the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last January.

A senior official from the United Nations Development Programme announced to Reuters last week that the program plans to provide $1.3 billion in support for Syria over the next three years.

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