Press Release: Joint European Commission/The World Bank press release

The High Level Steering Group for Southeast Europe (HLSG) held its third meeting at Ministerial level in Paris on 14.11.00 and reviewed developments in the Region at a very crucial moment. The Group, whose membership includes the Finance Ministers of Canada, France (also representing the Presidency of the European Union), Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, as well as the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the President of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe, and the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) met under the joint chairmanship of Messrs. Pedro Solbes, European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs and Sven Sandström, Managing Director of the World Bank. In addition, the Finance Minister of the Netherlands attended the meeting.

The HLSG reconfirmed commitment to promote stability in the Region and stressed the willingness to support economic reforms, investment and regional co-operation. More specifically the Group set out an agenda for co-ordination of economic assistance to the Region over the coming year.