Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF) CEO Zhongjing Wang and Global Infrastructure Facility (GIF) Head Astrid Manroth agreed to enhance MCDF-GIF cooperation to help meet increasing demand for connectivity infrastructure project development and financing support during a bilateral meeting at the MCDF Secretariat in Beijing on 24 June.

CEO Wang noted MCDF and GIF’s aligned priorities and GIF’s practical lessons over the past decade that it can share with MCDF as MCDF scales up its project preparation, capacity building, and information sharing activities during its fourth year of operations.

CEO Wang and GIF Head Manroth agreed on the need for MCDF and GIF to pursue innovative financing solutions that could accelerate their support for high-quality connectivity infrastructure project development based on partnerships and the promotion of International Financial Institution standards.

They also exchanged updates on ongoing efforts to broaden engagement with the private sector, particularly New Partners (developing country financiers), and explored avenues for MCDF-GIF collaboration.

CEO Wang stressed the importance of highlighting project success stories, pointing to MCDF’s climate-smart connectivity infrastructure report which showcases a GIF grant-supported PPP project, among other case studies.

CEO Wang and GIF Head Manroth also expressed their shared interest in expanding cooperation with other stakeholders, such as domestic development banks, and identifying ways to build collaboration across peer finance facilities that support high-quality connectivity infrastructure development.