BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 5. The European
Investment Bank (EIB) Group and the World Trade Organization (WTO)
Secretariat have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to
strengthen global trade and investment and support sustainable
economic development, Trend reports via the EIB.
The agreement, signed at the EIB Group Forum in Luxembourg,
formalizes cooperation between EIB Global, the bank’s international
partnerships and development finance arm, and the WTO Secretariat
to promote investment, facilitate trade, and enhance
commerce-related capacity building.
As part of the collaboration, the two organizations will launch
the “EIB-WTO Trade and Investment Facilitation Initiative,”
initially focusing on selected partner countries in Sub-Saharan
Africa. The initiative aims to unlock investment in sectors such as
green and digital transition, health, education, sustainable
growth, and job creation, aligning with the EU’s Global Gateway
priorities.
“Europe stands firmly behind a fair and rules-based global
trading system,” said EIB Group President Nadia Calviño. “This
agreement will help turn trade policy dialogue into concrete,
high-impact investments, attracting better-quality investment to
partner countries while creating new trading opportunities for EU
businesses.”
The MoU also includes analytical and research collaboration,
exchanging insights on global investment and trade trends to inform
policy and operational decisions. Both organizations will support
regulatory reforms in partner countries, with a particular focus on
the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement, which sets
global rules to facilitate foreign direct investment flows by
improving regulatory frameworks and reducing red tape.
“The new EIB–WTO partnership represents an important step toward
mobilizing finance and strengthening the investment environment in
developing countries,” said WTO Director-General Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala. “This partnership aligns policy reform efforts with
catalytic financing, promising to unlock private investment in
strategic sectors including critical minerals, digital
technologies, and the bioeconomy.”
Under the initiative, the EIB will assist countries in project
preparation and investment readiness, providing advisory support
and potentially funding through blended finance instruments to
attract additional private capital and ensure sustainable long-term
development.
The EIB is also pursuing parallel initiatives to boost EU
exports and investments globally, aiming for larger-scale, more
competitive engagements both within and outside the EU.
