BANGKOK, Oct. 17 (Xinhua) -- Thailand cast itself as a "trusted connector" in a fragmented global economy on Saturday as it began wrapping up its hosting of the 2026 annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group.
During a concluding press conference on Thailand's hosting of the meetings, Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Ekniti Nitithanprapas said the event had demonstrated the country's capacity to help set the global agenda together with the IMF and the World Bank.
Ekniti emphasized that resilience in a fragmented world must be built both across borders and within countries, by bringing small businesses and local communities into global supply chains.
The Thai government said the week-long meetings drew more than 19,000 registered participants, citing official IMF and World Bank registration data.
The "Bangkok Dialogue Notes" were unveiled at the press briefing. Officials noted that they are not a negotiated international outcome or formal policy recommendations but rather a distillation of themes raised in discussions among policymakers, international institutions, businesses, and other participants.
The document argues that economic fragmentation is happening within countries as well as between them. It says leading firms may gain access to new technologies and markets faster than small- and medium-sized enterprises, while some communities still lack the tools to seize new opportunities. ■