A delegation from the EBRD Board of Directors is visiting Serbia 20-23rd June 2011. The trip forms part of a regular series of consultations that enable the EBRD Directors to obtain up-to-date information on developments in countries of operation.

During this visit, the EBRD directors will meet the President of Serbia Mr Boris Tadic, Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic, Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers of the government of Serbia, Ambassadors, representatives of International Financial Institutions, high-ranking figures from the Serbian banking and business community, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). The Directors will also visit projects financed by the Bank.

Representatives of the EBRD Board on this visit will include:

• Peter Basch, representing the European Union
• Thomas Hacket, representing the European Investment Bank
• David Martinez Hornillos, representing Spain and Mexico
• Joachim Schwarzer, representing Germany
• Paul Vlaanderen, representing Netherlands and Mongolia

The director for Switzerland, Ukraine, Liechtenstein, Serbia and Montenegro Werner Gruber will host the visit.

Hildegard Gacek, EBRD Director in Serbia, and bankers from the Regional Office of the EBRD in Belgrade will participate in the talks.

The purpose of the consultations is to discuss Serbia's investment priorities and the EBRD’s involvement in the context of the Serbian government’s new growth strategy.

The discussions between the EBRD Board Directors and government representatives are expected to focus on the Bank’s role in supporting public and private sector investments as well as supporting the government's progress towards Serbia’s accession into the EU.

To date, the EBRD has committed more than € 2.5 billion in various sectors of the Serbian economy, mobilising additional investment in excess of € 3 billion.