IMF-World Bank Week at the Atlantic Council

What are the risks of the United States running persistent and growing current account deficits—and how long can it last? Tamim Bayoumi (King’s College London), Joseph Gagnon (Peterson Institute for International Economics), and Martin Mühleisen (Atlantic Council) join the GeoEconomics Center to explore the implications of current policy choices on the dollar and global stability.

Martin Mühleisen, Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Tamim Bayoumi, Visiting Professor, King’s College London

Joseph Gagnon, Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics

What’s on the minds of global finance leaders this week in Washington? The Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center breaks down the key themes, debates, and dynamics to watch during the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings.

Martin Mühleisen, Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Hung Tran, Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Nicole Goldin, Head, Equitable Development, UNU-Centre for Policy Research; Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Moderator: Josh Lipsky, Senior Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

As the urgency to mobilize climate finance in emerging markets grows, what innovative tools can unlock private capital at scale? On the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings, the Atlantic Council hosts a timely conversation with Ken Berlin and Mahesh Kotecha, moderated by Amin-Mohseni Cheraghlou, featuring new research on climate investment and guarantees along with a forward-looking COP30 policy proposal on financing facilities designed to close the investment gap.

Ken Berlin, Senior Fellow and Director of the Financing and Achieving Cost Competitive Climate Solutions Project, Global Energy Center, Atlantic Council

Mahesh Kotecha, President, Structured Credit International Corporation

Moderator: Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou, Senior Lecturer, American University | Consultant, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Sovereign debt has reached record levels across the Global South, and interest and debt service payments have outpaced aid, straining fiscal space and countries’ abilities to invest in economic growth, development, and climate resilience. William Roos—assistant secretary for multilateral, development, and trade affairs at the French Treasury; co-chair of the Paris Club; and co-chair of the G20 International Financial Architecture Working Group—joins Nicole Goldin to unpack these trends and the implications and response across the international financial system.

William Roos, Co-chair, Paris Club and G20 International Financial Architecture Working Group

Moderator: Nicole Goldin, Head, Equitable Development, UNU-Centre for Policy Research; Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Muhammad Aurangzeb, Pakistan’s minister for finance and revenue, joins the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center to discuss the country’s economic reform agenda, its engagement with international financial institutions, and efforts to build long-term resilience on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings.

Muhammad Aurangzeb, Minister of Finance and Revenue, Pakistan

Moderator: Aasim Husain, Former Deputy Director, International Monetary Fund

Ukrainian Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko discusses how Ukraine is managing its economy amid full-scale war, maintaining fiscal stability, and planning for reconstruction with GeoEconomics Center Deputy Director Charles Lichfield on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings.

Serhiy Marchenko, Minister of Finance, Ukraine

Moderator: Charles Lichfield, Deputy Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Felipe Chapman, Minister of Economy and Finance of Panama joins the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center to discuss the country’s economic outlooks through 2025 and beyond, as well as the status of US-Panama bilateral economic relations and his vision for an Americas economic security strategy.

Felipe Chapman, Minister of Economy and Finance, Panama

Moderator: Jason Marczak, Vice President and Senior Director, Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, Atlantic Council

What tradeoffs will the Trump administration face in pursuing both tariff increases and a weaker dollar? Martin Mühleisen, Atlantic Council senior fellow; Elizabeth Shortino, former acting US executive director at the IMF; and Mark Sobel, US chairman to the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum, analyze the policy tensions and economic implications on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings.

Elizabeth Shortino, Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Mark Sobel, US Chairman, Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum

Moderator: Martin Mühleisen, Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

As the Trump administration escalates tariffs on Chinese imports, what will Beijing’s next move be? Is there still space for negotiation—or is a deeper trade rift inevitable?

Join Brad Setser, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and Beth Baltzan, Atlantic Council senior fellow, as they break down the implications of this new chapter in US-China trade tensions.

Brad Setser, Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations

Beth Baltzan, Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Moderator: Josh Lipsky, Senior Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

What do stablecoin regulations in the United States mean for national security and the global economy? Ananya Kumar sits down with Faryar Shirzad and Carole House to answer this question—diving into regulatory gaps and the opportunities for global coordination.

Faryar Shirzad, Chief Policy Officer, Coinbase

Carole House, Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Moderator: Ananya Kumar, Deputy Director, Future of Money, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Turkish Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek joins the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center and Turkey Programs for a conversation on the key domestic and global risks shaping the country’s path forward—on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings. Moderated by Charles Lichfield.

Mehmet Şimşek, Minister of Treasury and Finance, Türkiye

Moderator: Charles Lichfield, Deputy Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Counci

Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis discusses the EU’s strategic priorities for trade, defense, and competitiveness in a rapidly shifting global landscape in conversation with the Atlantic Council’s Jörn Fleck on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings.

Valdis Dombrovskis, European Commissioner for Economy and Productivity; Implementation and Simplification, European Commission

Moderator: Jörn Fleck, Senior Director, Europe Center, Atlantic Council

Nearly forty years after the Plaza Accord reshaped global currency alignment, what lessons still matter today? Bloomberg’s Saleha Mohsin joins Josh Lipsky, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center, to explore the legacy of the agreement and what has changed in US dollar diplomacy—on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings.

Saleha Mohsin, Senior Washington Correspondent, Bloomberg News

Moderator: Josh Lipsky, Senior Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

As digital infrastructure scales globally, what are we learning from real-world implementation? Timothy Murphy, Justin Sherman , and Sabine Mensah explore how innovation, competition, and global cooperation can shape the future of resilient, inclusive digital systems. Moderated by Ananya Kumar.

Timothy Murphy, Vice Chair, Mastercard

Justin Sherman, Senior Fellow, Cyber Statecraft Initiative, Atlantic Council

Sabine Mensah, Deputy CEO, AfricaNenda Foundation

Moderator: Ananya Kumar, Deputy Director, Future of Money, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Banque de France Governor François Villeroy de Galhau discusses the challenges of safeguarding the euro amid global economic uncertainty with Charles Lichfield, deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center, on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings.

François Villeroy de Galhau, Governor, Banque de France

Moderator: Charles Lichfield, Deputy Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Over fifty central banks around the world are considering or have already introduced real-time or fast payment systems. Join Loretta J. Mester, Harish Natarajan, Ali Moussavi, and Ananya Kumar as they unpack what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next for these payments platforms in emerging and advanced markets.

Loretta J. Mester, Member of the Visa Institute Advisory Council | Former President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

Harish Natarajan, Practice Manager, Financial Inclusion and Infrastructure, Finance, Competitiveness & Innovation, World Bank

Ali Moussavi, Head of the Payments Strategy Unit, Bank of England

Moderator: Ananya Kumar, Deputy Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Read between the lines of the IMFs World Economic Outlook with experts Hung Tran, Martin Mühleisen, Elizabeth Shortino, Jeremy Mark, and Nicole Goldin.

Nicole Goldin, Head, Equitable Development, UNU-Centre for Policy Research; Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Martin Mühleisen, Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Elizabeth Shortino, Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Hung Tran, Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Moderator: Josh Lipsky, Senior Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

The Trump administration is increasingly linking trade policy to national security. Join Emily Kilcrease and Peter Harrell for a conversation on what the White House’s approach means for global trade, moderated by Sophia Busch.

Emily Kilcrease, Senior Fellow and Director of the Energy, Economics, and Security Program, the Center for a New American Security

Peter Harrell, Nonresident Fellow, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Moderator: Sophia Busch, Assistant Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Alisha Chhangani sits down with Polina Kempinsky to discuss her new research on payments models in Brazil and India.

Polina Kempinsky, Master’s in Public Policy student & Researcher, Harvard Kennedy School

Moderator: Alisha Chhangani, Assistant Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

On the sidelines of the 2025 Spring Meetings, we’ve gathered a group of central bank officials and other experts from Central and Southeastern Europe. Tune in for a dynamic dialogue with Deputy Director Charles Lichfield on the economic trends and challenges facing the region. Audience participation encouraged!

Vojtech Belling, Executive Director, Czech National Bank

Petar Chobanov, Deputy Governor, Bulgarian National Bank

Dan Negrea, Senior Fellow, Freedom and Prosperity Center, Atlantic Council

Jan Ruzicka, Chief External Affairs Officer, PPF Group

Moderator: Charles Lichfield, Deputy Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Greece’s economy and finance minister, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, joins the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center and Europe Center on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings to discuss Greece’s economic strategy, fiscal-policy priorities, and role in the European and global economy.

Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Minister of National Economy and Finance, Greece

Moderator: Josh Lipsky, Senior Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

As emerging market and developing economies deal with debt and declining official development assistance and foreign investment, domestic resource and revenue mobilization has become even more critical for inclusive growth and financing their development needs. Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, director of the Strategy, Policy, and Review Department of the IMF, and Pablo Saavedra, vice president for the Prosperity vertical at the World Bank, join Nicole Goldin for a conversation on what’s driving the domestic resource mobilization imperative and what policies show the most promise.

Ceyla Pazarbasioglu, Director of the Strategy, Policy, and Review Department, IMF

Pablo Saavedra, Vice President for the Prosperity vertical, World Bank

Moderator: Nicole Goldin, Head, Equitable Development, UNU-Centre for Policy Research; Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Amid global economic uncertainty, how will Madrid prove resilient? Spain’s finance minister, Carlos Cuerpo, joins the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center to discuss his economic agenda, the country’s fiscal outlook, and Spain’s evolving role in the European and global economy—on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings.

Carlos Cuerpo, Minister of Economy, Trade and Business, Spain

Moderator: Josh Lipsky, Senior Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

GeoEconomics Center Deputy Director Charles Lichfield interviews Sebastien Danloy, the chief business officer of Euroclear, on new momentum behind a European savings and investment union.

Sebastien Danloy, Chief Business Officer, Euroclear

Moderator: Charles Lichfield, Deputy Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Megan Greene, an external member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, discusses the United Kingdom’s inflation outlook with Josh Lipsky, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center, on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings.

Megan Greene, External Member of the Monetary Policy Committee, Bank of England

Moderator: Josh Lipsky, Senior Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

How is technology reshaping the global financial system—and when does collaboration outweigh competition? Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman joins Kimberly Donovan, director of the GeoEconomics Center’s Economic Statecraft Initiative, for a conversation on market dynamics and systemic risk on the sidelines of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings.

Adena Friedman, CEO, Nasdaq

Moderator: Kimberly Donovan, Director of the Economic Statecraft Initiative, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

US Representative to Commerzbank Verena Bitter joins GeoEconomics Center Deputy Director Charles Lichfield for a quick interview, breaking down the gap between the European Union and the United States when it comes to Basel III implementation.

Verena Bitter, US Representative, Commerzbank

Moderator: Charles Lichfield, Deputy Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

How is Egypt navigating overlapping global shocks while advancing its economic agenda? H.E. Rania Al-Mashat, Egypt’s Minister of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation, joins the Atlantic Council to discuss Egypt’s efforts to build resilience.

Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, Egypt

Moderator: Khaled Sakr, Senior Fellow, empowerME and Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East Programs, Atlantic Council

In June, UN and development finance leaders will convene in Seville for the Fourth Financing for Development conference to debate and determine the path forward for development cooperation, multilateral economic governance, private sector engagement, and national policies for growth. Nicole Goldin sits down with UN Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development Navid Hanif and Ambassador of Zambia to the UN Chola Milambo to discuss member state priorities, the status of current negotiations, and what to watch for in these final lead up months.

Navid Hanif, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs

Chola Milambo, Ambassador of Zambia to the UN, Zambia

Moderator: Nicole Goldin, Head, Equitable Development, UNU-Centre for Policy Research; Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Amid widening financing for development gaps worldwide, effective implementation of development projects and policies is critical: as is partnering and extending the reach of limited resources. UNOPS Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director Kirstine Damkjaer joins Nicole Goldin to discuss elements of impactful and inclusive implementation, harnessing private sector partnerships, and reaching last-mile communities.

Kirstine Damkjaer, Assistant Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director, UNOPS

Moderator: Nicole Goldin, Head, Equitable Development, UNU-Centre for Policy Research; Senior Fellow, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

After a week packed with high-level meetings, what stood out? The Atlantic Council GeoEconomics Center closes out the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings with a recap of the moments that mattered, touching topics from trade barriers to development finance.

Sophia Busch, Assistant Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Alisha Chhangani, Assistant Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Jessie Yin, Assistant Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council

Moderator: Josh Lipsky, Senior Director, GeoEconomics Center, Atlantic Council