Opinions & Interviews
EBRD pleased with rapid advancement of relations with Belarus
LONDON, 11 June (BelTA) – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is satisfied with the dynamic advancement of relations with Belarus. EBRD First Vice President Jurgen Rigterink made the statement on 11 June after meeting with Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Rumas in the bank’s headquarters in London, BelTA has learned.
Jurgen Rigterink said: “We have had very fruitful negotiations with the prime minister. In particular, we’ve discussed such matters as privatization, the improvement of the state of infrastructure, and work in many other areas.”
After the meeting memorandums of cooperation were signed for setting up a council for foreign investments in Belarus and for pre-privatization assistance for OAO Vitebskdrev. Apart from that, the EBRD will allocate €15.5 million for a clean water program in Vitebsk Oblast.
The EBRD first vice president said: “The signed documents consolidate the beautiful relations, which have emerged with the Belarusian government and the Belarusian people. These are not empty words. You can look at our turnover with Belarus, which was €50 million four years ago and €360 million in 2018. Our partnership develops very dynamically.”
In his words, the bank intends to beat last year’s investment figure in 2019 and later on. “We have secured a solid headway into projects. I hope this year we will reach at least €350 million in various kinds of investment projects and projects to prepare companies for privatization,” Jurgen Rigterink.
The EBRD is a multilateral bank, which facilitates the development of the private sector and entrepreneurship initiative in 38 economies on three continents. The EBRD shareholders include 67 countries, the European Union, and the European Investment Bank.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development is the largest institutional investor in the Belarusian economy. Since the EBRD began working in Belarus in 1992, the bank has invested nearly €2.46 billion in 114 projects implemented in various branches of the national economy.
print version
make home page
add to bookmarks
