New York:Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi received Jihad Azour, Director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), during a meeting in New York.

According to Iraqi News Agency, the meeting focused on developments in the global economic landscape and the effects of the ongoing regional crisis on markets, prices, supply chains, and inflation rates. Additionally, discussions included the crisis’s impact on energy consumption and oil prices.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the government is advancing with restructuring critical elements of Iraq’s fiscal policy. This includes expanding automation and gradually transitioning towards program- and performance-based budgeting, which is part of the proposed 2027 budget.

Jihad Azour expressed the IMF’s readiness to continue its cooperation with Iraq, supporting its economic and financial reform efforts to enhance financial and economic stability in the country.