Talks in Bangkok
Syria's finance minister, Mohammad Yisr Barnieh, met a delegation from Lazard, a firm specialized in financial advisory and asset management, on the sidelines of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, held in Bangkok. In a statement issued on 18 October 2026, the ministry said the two sides explored prospects for cooperation, with a particular focus on sovereign financial advisory.
Debt at the Center
The meeting reviewed the course of Syria's financial reforms and the scope of future work with the firm, including the management and restructuring of public debt. The discussion centered on tailoring specialized advisory services to the specific conditions of the Syrian economy and the demands of its recovery and reconstruction phase.
The minister underlined the value of drawing on the firm's international experience to strengthen both financial and institutional reform and to improve the efficiency of public finance management.
The Greece Reference
The minister pointed to the firm's record in Greece and other countries as experience worth drawing on. That reference signaled the kind of sovereign advisory the ministry is seeking to apply to Syria's own finances as it maps out how to handle its obligations.
Rebuilding Confidence
A stated aim of the cooperation is to rebuild confidence in the Syrian economy and to reintegrate it into international financial markets. The ministry linked that goal to its wider agenda of institutional reform and more disciplined management of state finances, presenting the advisory relationship as one element of a broader reform effort.
Earlier Contacts
The Bangkok meeting followed an earlier round of contacts. On 19 February 2026, the minister met representatives of the firm at the ministry's headquarters in Damascus to discuss files tied to the financial reform path and institutional overhaul, pointing to contacts that predate the Bangkok talks.