Bangkok, Thailand, 14 October 2026 – The Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) Group, H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, and the Chief Executive Officer of Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group, Mr. Christophe Lecourtier, reviewed priorities for the next phase of cooperation between the two institutions on the sidelines of the 2026 World Bank–IMF Annual Meetings in Bangkok.

The meeting was the first interaction between the two leaders since Mr. Lecourtier’s appointment as Chief Executive Officer of AFD Group in May 2026. Discussions focused on turning the strategic partnership established under the 2023–2028 Memorandum of Understanding into a more structured programme of co-financing and joint development operations.

Both parties reviewed progress under their existing co-financing framework and explored opportunities for earlier engagement throughout the project cycle to make preparing and implementing joint operations more efficient. They also discussed enhanced technical collaboration on procurement, compliance, and environmental and social safeguards to foster closer institutional cooperation.

Dr Al Jasser highlighted the complementary strengths of the two development institutions and the substantial potential to combine AFD Group’s financing, private-sector investment capabilities, and technical expertise with the IsDB Group's financing, guarantees, trade solutions, and country platforms.

The meeting also identified opportunities to strengthen regional cooperation across North Africa and the Sahel, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, to pinpoint priority sectors and potential pilot projects.

Both sides committed to taking practical steps to deepen the partnership and turn the existing cooperation framework into a more coordinated pipeline of development activities across countries of mutual interest. The meeting reaffirmed the significance of the IsDB–AFD Group partnership in mobilising development finance, technical expertise, and private-sector investment to promote sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development.