Estonia Attends IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings

IMF World Bank Madis Müller

Estonia is participating in the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank

Postitatud:

15.04.2026

Governor of Eesti Pank Madis Müller, Advisor on External Relations at the Ministry of Finance Märten Ross, and Deputy Director General of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board Janek Rozov will attend the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank on 15–18 April in Washington.

The progress of the global economy has been affected very much by the recent conflict in the Middle East, increasing tensions in trade relations, and tighter financing conditions. Uncertainty has increased in financial markets and in the investment decisions of businesses, and this is in turn restraining economic activity. The rise in energy prices and the disruption to supply chains caused by the military conflict may hinder growth in the economy and drive inflation up, increasing pressure on state budgets. This will first of all impact countries that import energy.

The key question at the spring meetings of the IMF will be how economic policy should be shaped, adjusted and globally coordinated in an unstable environment. Central banks have an important role to play in ensuring price stability and steering expectations for inflation, especially when the price pressures caused by the conflict may prove lasting. The IMF recommends that the first priority for fiscal policy should be to support the goals of monetary policy, and that universal and expensive support measures should be avoided. Where fiscal support is needed, it should be temporary and it should be directed to the most vulnerable households and businesses. The IMF is emphasising the need to find ways of rebuilding buffers and ensuring that national debts remain sustainable.

The focus of the discussions at the World Bank will be on creating jobs and encouraging economic growth in developing countries. The priority is to create an environment that supports enterprise, where a reliable legal environment, functioning financial markets and policies that encourage private investment can help companies to grow and create new jobs. The meeting of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action will discuss ways that green policies can help create jobs. One of the most important meetings for Estonia will be the roundtable of ministers discussing support for Ukraine.

Their large memberships make both the IMF and the World Bank good platforms for consultation and for cooperation on economic programmes.

The Estonian delegation will have bilateral meetings with members of the management of the IMF and the World Bank, staff from the US Treasury, and representatives of the private sector. There will be several discussions about Ukraine during the meetings and the Estonian delegation will meet the representatives of Ukraine. The Deputy Director General of the Estonian Tax and Customs Board will present Estonia’s digital and AI solutions for collecting tax and customs revenues at several events.

The spring and annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank are held twice a year and bring together high-level delegations from all the countries that are members of the two organisations to discuss key economic and financial questions and coordinate global economic policy.

For the schedule of the meetings, see the IMF website.

Additional information:
Viljar Rääsk
Head of Communications
Eesti Pank
668 0745, 527 5055
Email: [email protected]
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