French President, World Bank President meet to discuss long-term commitment

The meeting took place on the eve of the Paris Forum hosted a High-Level Conference on Effective and Sustainable Financing for International Development.

The President of France Emmanuel Macron and World Bank Group President David Malpass today met to discuss the long-term commitment between France and the World Bank Group and priorities such as promoting economic stability in developing countries, particularly the Sahel region of Africa.

The meeting took place on the eve of the Paris Forum hosted a High-Level Conference on Effective and Sustainable Financing for International Development.

"I'm very pleased to have received the President of the World Bank Group David Malpass on his first visit to France since being appointed as head of this important multilateral institution," said President of France Emmanuel Macron. At our meeting, we discussed our joint commitment to tackle inequalities, promote prosperity and security in the Sahel, and protecting our environment and biodiversity. I look forward to working with him on key issues for France such as ending extreme poverty and creating growth and opportunities for all."

"France and the World Bank Group share a long history of cooperation in addressing some of the most pressing development challenges," said World Bank Group President David Malpass. "President Macron's leadership on issues such as access to education, climate resilience, and debt sustainability will help ensure that future generations can contribute to the world's stability and prosperity. We discussed how to deepen our collaboration on urgent issues including debt transparency, promoting growth, and tackling poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa where the number of people living in extreme poverty is on the rise."

This was Mr Malpass' first trip to France since becoming World Bank Group President on April 9, 2019.