Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, and Kristalina Georgieva, Chief Executive Officer of the World Bank, have discussed means of boosting relations in the field of international cooperation and development projects.

During the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the World Bank meetings in Washington, DC, Al Hashimy stressed that the issue of women's empowerment is a major priority of the UAE's foreign aid policy, pointing out the UAE's strategic and continuous commitment to women's economic empowerment as a key factor for success.

Georgieva commended the efforts of the UAE and its US$50 million contribution to the Women Entrepreneurs Fund, saying that the UAE is one of the founders of the $340 million fund, to which 13 donor countries are contributing.

The empowerment of women and girls is one of the three major global focus areas of the UAE's foreign aid policy for the period 2017-2021 and is one of the strategic areas of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.