Bangkok: Federal Minister for Finance and Revenue, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, engaged in discussions with AIIB President Ms. Zou Jiayi, focusing on infrastructure financing and strategies for economic resilience. This meeting took place alongside the World Bank Group-IMF Annual Meetings 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand.

According to Press Information Department, the conversation highlighted power transmission and railway modernization as key areas of interest, with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) planning to approve a transmission project by the end of the year. The discussions also examined the potential cofinancing of the ML-1 railway’s Karachi-Rohri section with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or parallel financing options for other railway segments.

Senator Aurangzeb stressed the importance of a multi-year lending program, efficient project implementation, and enhanced private sector involvement through public-private partnerships. Additionally, the meeting addressed the need for emergency budget support in response to energy and food security challenges, as well as exploring climate-focused policy financing opportunities.

The Finance Minister expressed gratitude for AIIB’s support through the Panda bond guarantee and discussed the importance of diversifying financing options, extending maturities, and minimizing rollover risks. He also thanked AIIB for its willingness to assist with future capital market issuances and to explore technical collaboration on Eurobond tokenization.