| ECA NEWS The Monthly Newsletter of the Europe and Central Asia Region December 2004 Highlights in this issue: - World Bank Update on HIV/AIDS Control in Europe and Central Asia - Wolfensohn Visits Kazakhstan - Caspian Environment Program Investment and Donors' Forum Held on November 19-20 in Baku - Roma Education Fund Donors' Conference Also: - Country and Sector News
- Events - New and Revised Project Documents Online World Bank Update on HIV/AIDS Control in Europe and Central Asia The Europe and Central Asia region (ECA) is experiencing the fastest-growing epidemic of any region in the world. According to UNAIDS, in 2004, the number of people living with the virus in the Region rose to an estimated 1.4 million [UNAIDS bases its estimates on a range, which in this instance is 920,000 – 2.1 million]. AIDS claimed an estimated 60,000 lives [39,000-87,000] and some 210,000 [110,000-480,000] people were newly infected. With a generalized epidemic (prevalence over 1%), annual economic growth rates could decline by 0.5 to 1.0 percentage points. In addition, health expenditures could increase by 1-3 percent. Among the diverse epidemics under way in ECA, the most serious is in Ukraine, while Russia is home to the largest epidemic in the region and in all of Europe [the range of people living with HIV in Russia is 420,000-1.4 million]. Several Central Asian and Caucasian republics are in the early phases of the epidemic, while in South East Europe, HIV has possibly gained a foothold among high risk groups, particularly youth and injecting drug users. For more information on HIV/AIDS in ECA, please here Wolfensohn Visits Kazakhstan
James D. Wolfensohn spent two days in Kazakhstan November 15-16 to discuss a new partnership between the country and the World Bank. The main goal of his visit was to meet with President Nazarbayev and his Cabinet on the newly endorsed Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) and agree on specific areas where Kazakhstan and the Bank can work effectively together. Mr. Wolfensohn said there is a need for World Bank assistance in the areas of education, health, infrastructure, governance and government reform. Mr. Wolfensohn’s visit also included a visit to the new capital Astana, where he met with Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov and selected members of the Government, and held a lecture at the Gumyliev Eurasian University. He was accompanied by Messrs. Shigeo Katsu, World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia; Dennis de Tray, World Bank Country Director for Central Asia; Khosrow Zamani, International Finance Corporation (IFC) Director for Europe and Central Asia; and Loup Brefort, Country Manager for Kazakhstan. For more information, please click here. Caspian Environment Program Investment and Donors' Forum Held on November 19-20 in Baku The World Bank and its partners within the Caspian Environment Program (CEP), in cooperation with the Caspian littoral states, organized the Caspian Environment Program Investment and Donors' Forum on November 19-20 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The forum gathered representatives of the Caspian states, international financial institutions, donor governments, international organizations, private sector and NGOs. The aim of the Forum was to provide a platform for the Caspian states to present to potential investors and donors the investment and technical assistance proposals identified in their National Caspian Action Plans and the regional Caspian Strategic Action Program. Shigeo Katsu participated in the event, along with other senior officials. For more information, please click here. Roma Education Fund Donors' ConferenceAn international donors' conference is being organized at the World Bank offices in Paris on December 2-3 to establish the Roma Education Fund. The Fund was launched at the regional conference "Roma in an Expanding Europe: Challenges for the Future" held in Budapest in July, 2003, where education was identified as the single most important way to create opportunities for Roma and improve their living conditions. As requested at the conference, the World Bank has coordinated the preparation of the Fund over the last year in close consultation with partners from Roma civil society and governments in the region as well as the international community. The conference is the culmination of this year's preparatory work and is being co-hosted by the Council of Europe Development Bank and the Open Society Institute. Several international donors have already expressed their commitment to the Roma Education Fund and it is hoped that more will pledge resources at the conference. For more information, please click here. Country and Sector News Albania WDR 2005 and Doing business in 2005 Launched in Tirana On November 1, 2004, the World Bank office in Tirana launched this year’s World Development Report and Doing Business. Government officials, representatives from parliament, private sector, academia, research institutes, NGOs, donor community, media, and others attended the event. Nadir Mohammed, Country Manager for Albania, presented the main findings of the WDR, focusing on the ECA region and Albania. He also briefed the audience on the World Bank’s work to improve business climate and promote private sector development in Albania. Nadir also announced that the World Bank will soon begin Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) consultations with all relevant stakeholders. Sita Ramaswami, manager of the IFC’s SECA Department presented the Doing Business report with a special focus on Albania. For more information, please click here. Armenia Credit Agreement Signed Armenian Finance and Economy Minister Vardan Khachatryan and World Bank Country Manager Roger Robinson on November 19 signed the first Poverty Reduction Support Credit (PRSC) Agreement for Albania. The project supports the policy and institutional reforms reflected in the Government's Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS), and builds on the previous Bank supported structural operations. The ceremony was held at the Government House in the presence of Cabinet members, World Bank project team members, and journalists. At a joint press-conference following the signing, Khachatryan and Robinson introduced the objectives of the project, and answered questions about the draft State Budget-05, and future collaboration between the Bank and the Armenian Government. For more information, please click here.
Potable Water for Citizen's of Aparan Town A World Bank financed potable water gravity flow supply system was officially opened in the town of Aparan in the Aragatsotn region on November 14. Roger Robinson, World Bank Country Manager, congratulated the citizens of Aparan with the solution of a long lasting problem, while Governor of the region, Mayor of Aparan, and Chairman of the State Committee of Water Economy praised the Bank's Armenian Social Investment Fund II (ASIF) project which serves the critical needs of communities in Armenia. For more information on the World Bank in Armenia, please click here. Croatia Croatian Government Endorses Country Assistance Strategy and Programmatic Adjustment Loan The Government of Croatia endorsed the Croatian Country Assistance Strategy 2005-08 and the Programmatic Adjustment Loan in November in two separate Cabinet sessions. This endorsement paves the way for the presentation of the Country Assistance Strategy to the Board on December 21, 2004. The Croatia Country Assistance Strategy focuses on supporting the Government’s European Integration agenda with emphasis on growth, empowerment and environmental sustainability. The CAS offers three scenarios, a low-case, a base-case and a high case, with the high-case amounting to US$1.5 billion. The Programmatic Adjustment Loan Regional Operations Committee cleared the appraisal mission which will be visiting Zagreb in November 29. The first Programmatic Adjustment Loan will focus on fiscal consolidation issues. For more information on the World Bank in Croatia, please click here. Czech RepublicWorld Bank Helping Government To Evaluate The Collective Investment Industry On November 12, the World Bank released the findings of a newly completed Assessment of Governance in the Czech Collective Investment Fund Sector at a workshop organized by the Czech Ministry of Finance. The Assessment highlighted the progress made by the Czech authorities in improving legislation and regulatory norms related to capital markets, including in the area of collective investments. The workshop was attended by some 100 people and there was a lively discussion on the findings of the report, particularly on the challenge of striking the right balance between the level of regulation required for the collective investment industry and the need to ensure further development of the sector given its still small size, and on the work on governance of other financial institutions (banks, insurance companies and pension funds) the Government and the Bank have agreed to undertake. Roger Grawe, Country Director for Central Europe and the Baltics, and Marie- Renee Bakker, Lead Financial Sector Specialist, were the key Bank participants at the event. The Assessment was part of a broader set of joint World Bank-Czech Government activities supporting financial and private sector development in the Czech Republic. For more information, please click here. RomaniaProjects Supporting Romania's EU Integration Goals Approved The World Bank Board recently approved the MAKIS (Modernizing of Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems) and Transport Restructuring Projects. The main objective of the projects is to help Romania meet its EU acquis obligations and to prepare the country to effectively integrate in the single market economy. Accordingly, the MAKIS will help strengthen the system for ensuring agriculture products certification, improvements in the key agriculture research institutions, and implementation of the Grant Program as a twinning arrangement between the extension and research institutions. The Transport Project aims to increase the efficiency of Romanian Railways to the highest EU level of performance, while also supporting Road Infrastructure to avoid congestion in the major urban centers. For more information, please click here. World Bank Begins Hazard Risk Mitigation and Emergency Preparedness Project The World Bank and the Government of Romania officially launched in November the implementation of the Hazard Risk Mitigation and Emergency Preparedness (HRMEP). This is the first such comprehensive intervention in the ECA region and it will prepare the country against earthquakes, floods, and other natural hazards. The US$203.6 million project (IBRD: US$150 million) also caters to establishing a sophisticated monitoring system, building reinforcement, and plans to develop a risk insurance mechanism to cover potential losses caused by natural hazards. For more information, please click here. Conference on Community Development and Cultural Heritage In recognition of the Bank's support for cultural heritage activities in Romania, the Mihai Eminescu Trust and UNDP invited the Bank to participate in the International Conference for the Integrated Development of Sighisoara and the Saxon Villages of Transylvania. Minister for European Integration, Alexandru Farcas, and Lady Jessica Douglas-Home, and the Mayors of the concerned localities, addressed the conference. Mr. Owaise Saadat, World Bank Country Manager, delivered a keynote address where he explained the rationale for Bank involvement in the area of cultural heritage and the specific assistance to community development under the recently completed Cultural Heritage Project. To read Mr. Saadat’s speech, please click here. RussiaAt a press conference in the Russia country office, Lead Economist John Litwack presented the 9th Russian Economic Report. The press conference was attended by some 30 Russian and International Moscow-based journalists. The report discussed the state of deposit insurance in the banking sector, and how to enhance and maintain competitiveness of the Russian economy outside of the oil and gas sector in the context of a marked slowdown in industry, construction, and transportation in the third quarter of 2004. For more information, click here Serbia and MontenegroShigeo Katsu Visits Serbia and MontenegroWorld Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Mr. Shigeo Katsu visited Serbia and Montenegro on November 25 - 27. The main purpose of this visit was to meet with counterparts in Serbia and Montenegro and to discuss the ongoing and future World Bank program in the country. With financing from the World Bank and other donors, the country has been able to achieve macro economic stability and jump-start structural reforms, but many challenges remain. The Bank intends to help governments of Serbia and Montenegro address these challenges through the Country Assistance Strategy which is currently under preparation. Mr. Katsu met with government officials, academia and civil society organizations and discussed these challenges and ways to overcome them. Apart from Belgrade and Podgorica, Mr. Katsu visited the World Bank project site in Tivat (Environmentally Sensitive Tourist Areas Project). In preparation of the upcoming Roma Education Fund Donors’ Conference in Paris, December 2-3, 2004, and the launch of the Decade of Roma Inclusion, scheduled on February 2, 2005, the Vice President of the World Bank met with the representatives of Roma community and attended a roundtable on Education for Roma Children in Nis. For more information on Mr. Katsu’s visit, please click here. SlovakiaInternational Conference on Enterprise and Financial Sector Restructuring organized in Slovakia The World Bank, in cooperation with the Liberal Institute Foundation, organized on November 9 an international conference on Enterprise and Financial Sector Restructuring in Slovakia. The conference discussed the process of banking and enterprise sector restructuring, provided an assessment of the results achieved, and explained the solutions adopted. The conference was organized under the auspices of the Slovak Ministry of Finance. Finance Minister Ivan Miklos and Roger Grawe, Country Director for Slovakia, were among the speakers at the conference. The conference was attended by around hundred people, representing the Slovak Government, financial market institutions, commercial banks, academics, international organizations, think tanks, and media.For more information on the World Bank in Slovakia, please click here. TajikistanConsultative Group Meeting Held in DushanbeThe second in-country Donor Consultative Group Meeting for Tajikistan was held November 5 at the Pugus Presidential residence in Varzob. It was organized by the Government of Tajikistan and the World Bank with financial support of the Swiss Government. Twenty-three donor organizations and 14 donor countries attended the meeting, including high-level representatives from the World Bank, IMF, ADB, UNDP and other major donor organizations. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Akil Akilov and the World Bank Country Director for Central Asia Mr. Dennis de Tray. President Emomali Rakhmonov and Shigeo Katsu were among high level speakers at the meeting. The meeting took stock of the developments since the 2003 CG Meeting and main issues on the agenda included the progress achieved in poverty reduction, macroeconomic framework and the pace of reforms in rural development, public service delivery, public administration and business climate improvement. Government’s Public Investment Program was also presented at the meeting. For more information, please click here. TurkeyShigeo Katsu Visits TurkeyMr. Shigeo Katsu, Vice-President for Europe and Central Asia Region of the World Bank, visited Turkey on November 10-12, to review Turkey’s economic program and discuss World Bank assistance to the country. During his visit in Ankara Mr. Katsu met Deputy Prime Minister Abdüllatif Sener; Minister of Finance Kemal Unakitan; Minister of State Ali Babacan; Undersecretary of Undersecretariat of Treasury Ibrahim Çanakçi and Undersecretary of Undersecretariat of State Planning Organization Ahmet Tiktik. Mr. Katsu’s visit focused on the review of the economic and social developments; the Government’s program for 2005 and ongoing and future Bank assistance to Turkey. During the second and third days of his visit, Mr. Katsu visited Istanbul where he paid visits to a Basic Education School, Mother and Child Education Foundation ACEV premises and Istanbul Bilgi University. He also saw several World Bank financed project sites including Marmara Research Center, National Institute of Metrology within the framework of Industrial Technology Project (ITP); and a company benefiting from EFIL II Project. While in Istanbul, Mr. Katsu also met Turkish finance and business representatives. For more information on Mr. Katsu’s visit, please click here. ECA Chief Economist Pradeep Mitra’s Visits Ankara ECA Chief Economist Pradeep Mitra paid a two day visit to Turkey on November 1-2. After a debriefing on recent macroeconomic developments with the PREM unit at the Bank’s Ankara office, Mr. Mitra met with the Governor of the Central Bank, Head of the Ankara branch of Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen Association, Undersecretariat of Treasury, Undersecretariat of State Planning Organization experts, Ministry of Labor officials, and several academicians. For more information on the World Bank in Turkey, please click here. UkrainePublic Information Center to Open in December The World Bank and the British Council are joining forces to provide the Ukrainian people with access to information on global development, relevant electronic resources, and information about project activity of the World Bank. The World Bank’s PIC will be located on the premises of the British Council Research Information Center in Kyiv. The launching event will be attended by representatives of different International development institutions, government officials, MPs, NGOs, academics, students, and media. The launch is tentatively scheduled for December 9th. For more information, please click here. Events/Brown Bags/Seminars/Training European Conference on Corporate Social ResponsibilityOrganized in partnership with the Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs, Djordjija Petkoski and Saskia Kersemaekers of the WBI moderated two panels at the European Conference on Competing for a Sustainable Future for delegations from EU members, business and civil society. The session on "Eastern Promise" focused on the current CSR trends in Europe and the challenges faced by the new accession countries. The panel shared experience from new member states as well as regional EU trade partners such as Turkey. The second panel focused on the role of management education addressing the role of academic and training institutions in fostering and harmonizing sustainable business practices. WBI is also organized a preceding e-Conference based on the same agenda. The recommendations from the e-Conference, developed by more than 300 participants over 4 weeks, formed the background for a series of break out sessions. e-Conference on "How CSR Contributes Towards the Competitiveness of Europe in a More Sustainable World?" The World Bank Institute and the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Resource Centre Netherlands jointly in September launched a four week e-discussion on "How CSR contributes towards the competitiveness of Europe in a more sustainable world." The e-discussion was one contribution from the Corporate Governance and CSR program to the design and delivery of the European Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility held November 7-9 2004 in Maastricht, the Netherlands. The theme of this major conference was: "Competing for a Sustainable Future" (www.csr2004.nl) and with World Bank participation included a particular focus on the challenges and opportunities of CSR for the new EU member states, accession countries, and ECA region as a whole. The online discussion brought together several hundred invited experts and policy makers from the range of key stakeholder groups to discuss core issues within the framework of CSR and competitiveness. For more information, please click here New and Revised Project Documents Online CROATIA - Education Sector Support Program EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA - Energy Community of South East Europe Regional Project KOSOVO- Economic Policy / Public Expenditure Management MACEDONIA - Sustainable Energy POLAND - Fourth Roads Project ROMANIA - Mine Closure, Environment and Socio-Economic Regeneration TAJIKISTAN - Second Farm Privatization Support For more information on the World Bank's work in Europe and Central Asia, visit http://www.worldbank.org/eca |
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