By Peter OBIORA InvestAdvocate

Lagos (INVESTADVOCATE)-Christine Lagarde, Managing Director (MD) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Thursday met with King Abdullah II in Washington D.C.

The IMF said the meeting was an opportunity to discuss recent global, regional, and domestic economic developments, including the toll taken by the Syrian conflict, and its impact on the Jordanian economy.

Lagarde noted the good progress made by the Jordanian authorities in moving forward on the economic reform program under the Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF, and reiterated the Fund’s commitment to continue supporting Jordan’s efforts to put in place home-grown policies that promote macroeconomic stability, inclusive growth, and higher employment.

According to the IMF, both King Abdullah II and Lagarde also discussed the high-level conference on “Building the Future: Jobs, Growth, and Fairness in the Arab World”, which the government of Jordan, jointly with the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development and the IMF, will host in Amman on May 11–12, 2014.