IMF and World Bank representatives meet in Prague after eight years
On 26 June 2026, the Ministry of Finance and the Czech National Bank (CNB) hosted meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank constituencies, of which the Czech Republic is a member. The meetings took place at the CNB Congress Centre and were attended by representatives of the member countries and both institutions. The IMF constituency comprises Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Kosovo, Slovakia, Slovenia and Turkey. The World Bank constituency also includes Belgium and Luxembourg.
The meetings were opened by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Alena Schillerová and CNB Deputy Governor Eva Zamrazilová.
“In recent years, the global economy has faced a number of extraordinary challenges, from the COVID-19 pandemic and rising levels of debt in many countries to the effects of armed conflicts and growing energy and food insecurity. This makes it all the more important that the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group remain strong and effective institutions, capable of responding flexibly to new challenges and providing support where it is needed most,” said Minister of Finance Alena Schillerová.
“The last time a meeting of this kind was held in the Czech Republic was in 2018. Since then, the global economy has gone through an exceptionally dynamic period, unprecedented in many respects,” said CNB Deputy Governor Eva Zamrazilová. “Today, we find ourselves in a fundamentally different macroeconomic and monetary environment. Although inflation has fallen to more typical levels in most economies, uncertainty remains elevated. The most recent external shock whose effects we continue to feel is the conflict in the Middle East, which has introduced new risks to monetary and economic developments.”
The opening part of the programme was devoted to presentations by experts on current topics in international finance and development cooperation. The presentations focused in particular on assessing the stability and resilience of financial sectors, IMF policies and activities, cooperation between the European Union, the World Bank and the IMF, as well as issues related to employment, security and Europe’s development agenda.
The expert presentations were followed by meetings of the IMF and World Bank constituencies, during which representatives of the member countries discussed current economic developments, the strategic priorities of the two institutions and their future direction in response to today’s global challenges.
The meetings provided an opportunity for the exchange of experience among member countries and for coordinating common positions on issues related to international financial stability and economic development and growth.
Petra Vlčková
Communication Department
Czech National Bank
Gabriela Krušinová
Public Relations and Communications Department
Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic
