Istanbul, Turkiye, 21 June 2025 – The Kuala Lumpur Center of Excellence (KLCoE)  participated in the “Malaysia–Türkiye Finance Summit 18-20 June 2025”, held under the theme “Empowering Development Finance Institutions for Sustainable Future.” The Summit, jointly organized by the Association of Development Finance Institutions of Malaysia (ADFIM) and the Association of National Development Finance Institutions in Member Countries of the Islamic Development Bank (ADFIMI), served as a high-level platform to advance global dialogue on the critical role of Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

KLCoE was represented by its Head, Mr. Samer Elesawi, who joined a distinguished gathering of policymakers, financial leaders, regulators, and civil society stakeholders from Malaysia, Türkiye, and beyond. The summit aimed to foster collaboration and innovation in development finance, with a focus on ensuring inclusive and sustainable growth.

In his address, Mr. Samer emphasized the Islamic Development Bank’s (IsDB) unwavering commitment to fostering knowledge, innovation, and strategic partnerships for sustainable development across its member countries. He stated, “Our presence here today underscores the vital role of South-South cooperation and the immense potential of the Türkiye–Malaysia axis, both of which are important Member Countries of the IsDB.”

He further highlighted the importance of IsDB’s South-South Cooperation model as a transformative mechanism enabling mutual support and capacity-building among member states. “Through initiatives such as the IsDB’s Reverse Linkage program, we’ve seen how knowledge and expertise from more advanced member countries can be successfully transferred to others in need, catalyzing economic transformation and sustainable growth.”

Mr. Samer also shared with the audience the essence of the IsDB Group’s newly launched 10-Year Strategic Framework for 2026-2035 and invited the DFIs in attendance to collaborate with IsDB on initiatives that can bring mutual benefit and accelerate the collective journey towards a sustainable future.

Overall, the Summit underscored the significance of cross-border collaboration in closing knowledge and resource gaps, and in equipping DFIs to play a more dynamic role in the global sustainable development agenda.