EBRD President Visits Georgia

Jean Lemierre, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), will arrive in Georgia on May 19 as a part of his South Caucasus trip.

The visit comes on the background of a new EBRD initiative to support some of its poorest countries of operations ? Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan ? where more than 50% of the population live in poverty.

The EBRD President will hold meetings with President Saakashvili, senior government officials and business leaders, according to the press release issued by the EBRD.

Jean Lemierre will re-emphasise the need for authorities to tackle corruption and improve the rule of law to attract much-needed investment.

The Bank will aim to support more private-sector development, particularly focused on micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.  The Bank will also aim to finance smaller infrastructure projects, such as renewable energy.

The EBRD has already invested around ?700 million across the three Caucasian countries, in projects ranging from banking to infrastructure and energy to supporting small and medium-sized enterprises.

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