Former Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz has been appointed as a member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB)'s international advisory panel.

Zeti, ranked the world's best central bank chief in 2009 by Global Finance magazine, retired in April after 16 years of being at the helm of BNM.

In a statement, AIIB announced that Zeti would join 10 other key personal on the advisory panel including former prime minister of Pakistan Shaukat Aziz, former finance minister of Sweden Anders Borg, former prime minister of Japan Yukio Hatoyama as well as secretary-general of the Global Foundation Steve Howard.

Others include chair professor of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy and former deputy prime minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance of South Korea, Dr Oh-Seok Hyun, former finance minister of Nigeria and the former managing director of the World Bank Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Former finance minister of Timor-Leste Emilia Pires, former US ambassador, chairperson and chief executive officer of Global Strategic Associates Paul Speltz, professor at the London School of Economics and former chief economist at the World Bank Nicholas Stern and former chief executive of Hong Kong SAR Tung Chee-Hwa make the remaining members of the panel.

AIIB said the first meeting of the advisory panel was held in Beijing today.

"The panel provides impartial, objective and independent advice to the president, allowing the bank to benefit from the international experience and expertise of panel members," it said.

At the meeting, panel members discussed the global economic situation and its implications on the bank’s operations, the need to promote green infrastructure in the new global agenda and the importance of increasing private sector involvement in the region's infrastructure.

At the end of the meeting, AIIB president Jin Liqun said: "It is a great honour to convene such an experienced and diverse group of international leaders to advise on the development of the bank's strategy.

"I have no doubt that the advice, the panel provides, will help shape the development of the bank in the years ahead.

"And, I could not ask for a better group of ambassadors to help promote our new bank to the world."

AIIB, a multilateral international development bank, was set up on Dec 25, 2015, with an initial capital of US$100 billion, one million shares and an initial paid-up capital of US$20 billion.

- Bernama