Resources For

ECA News, September 2003

The Monthly Newsletter of the World Bank’s Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Region

Highlights in this issue

- Fresh Water Forum Held in Dushanbe
- Shigeo Katsu's Travels

Also:
- Country and Sector News
- Announcements
- New and Revised Project Documents Online
- Your Subscription

Fresh Water Forum Held in Dushanbe
The Dushanbe International Fresh Water Forum was held from August 29-September 1 in Tajikistan. Participants discussed ways to create the conditions needed to improve the management of water resources for future generations. Outgoing ECA Vice President Johannes Linn represented the World Bank at the conference. For more information, visit http://www.freshwaterforum.org/index-eng.htm

Shigeo Katsu's Travels
In mid-September, new ECA Vice President Shigeo Katsu will travel to Moscow, and then on to the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings in Dubai. He will subsequently travel to Manila (the Asian Development Bank), and to Tokyo (Japanese government and development agencies) with World Bank Central Asia Country Director Dennis de Tray for consultations on Central Asia. He will end his mission in Europe, with a visit to both Brussels (European Commission) and Paris.

Country and Sector News

BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Mostar Old Bridge Now Online
The Mostar Old Bridge Project Coordination Unit and Bosnia and Herzegovina PTT and Telecom, one of the three main Bosnia and Herzegovina post and telecom companies, have created a website that enables visitors to watch reconstruction of the Old Bridge in real time. For more information, visit http://www.starimost.telecom.ba/indexe.php?link=1

ROMANIA
Irrigation Reform and Rehabilitation Project Signed
New World Bank Romania Country Manager Owaise Saadat, who took up his new position on August 20, recently participated in the signing of the Irrigation Reform and Rehabilitation Project for Romania, which was approved on July 31. In a speech during the signing ceremony, Owaise noted that the Bank recognizes Romania's substantial potential in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and other rural service sectors. "However, opportunities for development in the rural areas are limited by droughts and other natural hazards which impact the stability of production, and implicitly the stability of the market and food supplies at the national level. Irrigation in this instance assumes strategic importance, minimizing the climatic risks affecting agriculture and ensuring the stability of the production necessary for commercial farming as a pillar of rural development. At the same time irrigation may also encourage private farmers in these areas to convert to high value crops," he said. The Minister of Public Finance, the Minister of Agriculture, the Dutch ambassador, and representatives of the governments of the United States, Japan, Canada and Spain (which have contributed to the preparation of the project) were present at the ceremony. For more information on the project, visit http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/eca/eca.nsf/General/9354B124C125289685256D7500652D8C?OpenDocument

SLOVAKIA
Public Finance Management Loan Signed
On August 4, ECA Vice President Shigeo Katsu and a representative of the Slovak Embassy in Washington signed a EUR 5 million Public Finance Management Loan for Slovakia. The loan will support the government's Public Finance Reform Strategy, which will enable Slovakia to achieve sustainable and transparent public finances compatible with macroeconomic stability, while also providing for high quality and effective public services. The Project aims to enhance the country's institutional capacity in the areas of implementation of program budgeting, and strengthening macro-economic analysis and the forecasting capacity of the Ministry of Finance. The program also supports the establishment of a professional debt management agency, among other things. For more information on the project, visit http://lnweb18.worldbank.org/ECA/eca.nsf/General/819CA1905286681985256D780070C5F2?OpenDocument

Announcements

New "Transition Meets Development" Program on B-Span
"Understanding Institutions and Institutional Changes," a presentation by University of California-Berkeley Economics Professor Gerard Roland from in the recent "Transition Meets Development" learning series for staff at the World Bank, is now available to the public online. For more information, visit http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/B-SPAN/sub_transition_development.htm

New and Revised Project Documents Online

RUSSIAN FEDERATION - Grain Market Infrastructure Development
http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000104615_20030820093631

RUSSIAN FEDERATION - St. Petersburg Economic Development
http://www-wds.worldbank.org/servlet/WDS_IBank_Servlet?pcont=details&eid=000104615_20030801095033