News

CEB Governor in Warsaw for EBRD Annual Meeting and bilateral talks

16 May 2014

CEB Governor in Warsaw  for EBRD Annual Meeting and bilateral talksPARIS - The Governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), Rolf Wenzel, was in Warsaw, Poland, for the Annual Meeting and Business Forum of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) on 14-15 May. The overall theme of the Business Forum this year was “Changing Economies, Changing Lives”.

On 14 May, Governor Wenzel participated in a discussion panel entitled “Connecting Emerging Europe and Emerging Asia”. The focus was on the growing economic ties between emerging markets in Asia and Europe, and the potential gains and policy implications of these. EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti, EIB President Werner Hoyer and Dean of ADB Institute Naoyuki Yoshino also took part in the panel discussion.

Governor Wenzel highlighted the importance of strengthening direct linkages between emerging Asian and European economies, particularly through strengthening the existing public infrastructure and legal framework of the countries concerned. He also outlined efforts undertaken by the CEB in terms of facilitating access to financing and adequate training for new entrepreneurs.

On the fringe of the Forum, Governor Wenzel held bilateral meetings with Mateusz Szczurek, Minister of Finance of Poland, host country of the EBRD Annual Meeting; Laszlo Balogh, Deputy State Secretary for Financial Policy Affairs of Hungary; Edward Scicluna, Minister of Finance of Malta; Lazar Krstić, Minister of Finance of Serbia; and Vazil Hudak, State Secretary of the Slovak Republic. The discussions centred around current and future cooperation with the CEB.

Set up in 1956, the CEB (Council of Europe Development Bank) has 41 Member States. Twenty-two Central, Eastern and South Eastern European countries, forming the Bank's target countries, are listed among the Member States. As a major instrument of the policy of solidarity in Europe, the Bank finances social projects by making available resources raised in conditions reflecting the quality of its rating (Aaa with Moody's, outlook negative, AA+ with Standard & Poor's, outlook stable and AA+ with Fitch Ratings, outlook stable). It thus grants loans to its Member States, and to financial institutions and local authorities in its Member States for the financing of projects in the social sector, in accordance with its Articles of Agreement.