Minister Tavio to attend World Bank’s NB8 group meeting in Stockholm

Ministers from the Nordic and Baltic countries (Nordic-Baltic Eight, NB8) will convene at a meeting of the Governors to the World Bank Group (WPG) in Stockholm on 6 March. The main topics on the agenda are the World Bank’s support to Ukraine, international development financing, job creation and clean transition. Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio will represent Finland at the meeting.

Ajay Banga, the President of the World Bank Group since June 2023, will attend the Stockholm meeting.

“Finland has supported Ukraine during Russia’s war of aggression through various channels, including the World Bank. When preparing for more extensive rebuilding, it is essential to discuss coordination between different actors, and the World Bank plays on important role in this,” Ministers Ville Tavio says.

“We support the World Bank’s efforts to strengthen developing countries’ own domestic resource mobilisation and to increase private financing for development projects. Improving the economic environments and creating jobs in these countries are key to this work,” says Minister Tavio.

While in Stockholm, Minister Tavio will also meet Benjamin Dousa, Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade, and Jakob Granit, the Director-General of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).