(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) A group of Qatari Banks hosted a reception at The Four Seasons Hotel in Washington on 12 October 2013, in conjunction with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group Annual Meetings. The Qatari delegation at the reception was headed by HE Ali Shareef Al Emadi, Minister of Finance, and HE Sheikh Abdullah Bin Saud Al Thani, Governor of Qatar Central Bank The delegation included Qatar's Ministry of Finance, Qatar Central Bank, Qatar Financial Centre (QFC), ahlibank, alkhaliji, Barwa Bank, Commercialbank, Doha Bank, International Bank of Qatar, Qatar International Islamic Bank, Qatar Islamic Bank and QNB The reception welcomed prominent bankers and key global policymakers, with attendees including chairpersons and members of the boards and management of GCC, Middle East and international banks, as well as senior officials representing regulatory authorities from various countries of the world The Reception also hosted guests representing governments, financial institutions, and the diplomatic missions to Washington The Qatari Banks' Reception is held every year during the IMF and the World Bank Group annual meetings to help promote the State of Qatar and its robust financial sector whilst building long-term relationships with industry leaders around the world It provides an opportunity for multilateral economic discussions and exchange of ideas between officials representing the Qatari, GCC and International banks and policymakers that attend the function The Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and IMF hold their Annual Meetings to discuss a range of issues including poverty reduction, international economic development and finance These annual meetings provide a forum for international cooperation and enable the World Bank and IMF to better serve their member countries The seminars to be held during the meetings are expected to provide a platform for global policy discussions and coordination.