Official Bank Sites Related Links Multimedia April 25, 2006—World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz’s visit takes him from Mexico’s vast capital city and the industrial center of Monterrey to rural communities in Guerrero. He will also see health and education projects in rural areas of Guatemala. World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz arrived in Mexico today, at the beginning of a five-day trip to Mexico and Guatemala – two countries that he says face a common challenge of boosting growth and competitiveness to fight poverty and inequality more effectively. “This is my first visit to Mexico and Guatemala and my second to Latin America as President of the World Bank,” said Wolfowitz. “Both Mexico and Guatemala are working hard to achieve more dynamic and inclusive growth, and the Bank will continue supporting their efforts and similar efforts of nations across Latin America,” he added. In Mexico During his three-day visit to Mexico, Latin America’s largest economy, Wolfowitz will meet with President Vicente Fox and his economic team, representatives of think-tanks, the private sector, civil society, and indigenous communities. His itinerary will allow him to see first hand the country’s successes and challenges, as well as the contrasts between Mexico’s richer Northern states and its poor Southern ones. While in Mexico City, the World Bank President will be learning about Mexico’s efforts to improve transparency and good government. He will visit Compranet, the e- procurement system for government purchases, and IFAI, the autonomous agency which gives ordinary citizens access to public information. In his meetings with President Fox and his team, as well as members of policy think tanks, the private sector and state governors, Wolfowitz will learn about the modernization of the Mexican economy and the challenges ahead. In the northern industrial city of Monterrey, Wolfowitz will see how Mexico is tackling issues of competitiveness, innovation, and climate change. He will also learn about what the country is doing to cut red tape for small businesses, an area that has proved to be key in generating jobs and growth. Before leaving Mexico, Wolfowitz will visit several rural communities in the southern State of Guerrero, one of the poorest in the country. There he will meet with indigenous peoples and young farmers who have returned to the community land owned by their parents. On to Guatemala In Guatemala, Wolfowitz will meet with President Oscar Berger, representatives of civil society, indigenous groups, the private sector, and government officials. He will travel to several poor and rural municipalities where he will visit Bank-supported projects and talk to Guatemalans about their needs and the impact that social programs are having on their lives. “Guatemala and Mexico share a rich legacy of ancient traditions and they face the common challenge of boosting growth and competitiveness to fight poverty and inequality more effectively,” said Wolfowitz. “I look forward to seeing their many achievements and hearing about the challenges they face and how the Bank can contribute to their efforts.” Bank Assistance Mexico is one of the Bank’s largest borrowers with 19 active Bank projects representing $3.3 billion in net commitments and 6 Global Environment Facility (GEF) grants of about $80 million. In Guatemala, the Bank has 13 projects totaling about $573 million in net commitments for education, health, infrastructure, judicial reform, financial sector, competitiveness, and rural development. The first visit of President Wolfowitz to Latin America was to Brazil in December 2005. |
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