Baku, February 9, 2017 – Mr. Cyril Muller, World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, visited Azerbaijan today to discuss with the authorities the World Bank Group’s support for the country’s development agenda. During his visit, Mr. Muller met with President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Artur Rasi-zade, as well as other key government officials.

Vice President Muller expressed appreciation for the Azerbaijan Government’s readiness to carry out comprehensive reforms as outlined in the recently-endorsed Strategic Reform Roadmap. He reaffirmed that the World Bank Group is ready to continue its engagement in the country, and discussed potential areas where the Bank’s financial investments and analytical support could effectively contribute to the country’s sustainable development agenda.

Representatives from the World Bank and the Government of Azerbaijan agreed on the importance of strengthening the country’s resilience against external shocks and keeping the country on a sustainable growth track.

The World Bank’s program in Azerbaijan focuses on enhancing the country’s competitiveness, as it seeks to become a more important player in the international economy. Bank support also aims at supporting reforms that will boost job creation and improve the efficiency of public service delivery. The recently-approved World Bank Group financing for the Trans-Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) project will increase Azerbaijan’s connectivity, as well as its transit and logistics capacity.

Azerbaijan joined the World Bank in 1992. During 25 years of cooperation, the World Bank has supported the country to implement economic reforms, re-build its infrastructure and improve its social services. Current World Bank commitments to Azerbaijan amount to US $2.4 billion across 10 active projects.