Bangkok: Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has expressed appreciation for the United Kingdom’s backing of the Reform for Growth Programme and welcomed the increasing investment from British International Investment. He engaged in discussions with the UK’s Minister for International Development, Kirsty McNeill, on the sidelines of the World Bank Group-IMF Annual Meetings 2026.

According to Radio Pakistan, the dialogue covered a wide range of topics, including fiscal consolidation, the strengthening of reserves, and sovereign rating upgrades. The conversation also touched on export-led growth, tariff and tax reforms, and the expansion of IT exports. Furthermore, the discussions included privatization, airport outsourcing, and aviation cooperation, with potential collaborations involving Airbus and Rolls-Royce.

In a separate meeting, Aurangzeb acknowledged Standard Chartered Bank’s role in bridging external financing gaps and facilitating Pakistan’s re-entry into international capital markets. Discussions with bank officials highlighted the bank’s proposed diaspora deposit products and financing against rupee-denominated securities. The meeting also considered gold-backed liquidity, energy-price hedging, and multilateral guarantees for projects in power transmission, railways, and roads.