A delegation of high-ranking officials of the World Bank will stay in Belarus this week.
The delegation will include Philippe Le Houerou, vice president for Europe and Central Asia, and Martin Reiser, head of the World Bank's office in Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova.
On March 18, the delegation is expected to have meetings at the Council of Ministers, the National Bank of Belarus and the Presidential Administration.
The delegation will participate in a workshop to discuss economic transformations in Belarus, the progress of structural reform, measures to bring investment into the country, and further cooperation plans, the World Bank Office in Minsk told BelaPAN.
The delegation is also expected to visit state-owned companies and social facilities in Minsk that have been modernized within the framework of projects supported by the World Bank's loans.
In December 2009, the World Bank gave a $200-million Development Policy Loan to Belarus. The loan was intended to support the Belarusian government’s economic program aimed at addressing the social impact of the crisis and advancing the structural reform to help enable a sustained economic recovery. Belarus joined the World Bank in 1992. Since then, it has borrowed $643 million for carrying out nine projects and received grant funds totaling $18 million for about 30 national programs. The World Bank currently finances four infrastructure projects in Belarus.
