Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic stated Sunday that Serbia reached an agreement with the World Bank (WB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) according to which it can draw USD 200 million from the loan it previously arranged with the WB.

"It is crucial for Serbia that it has agreed with the WB and the IMF to withdraw USD 200 million which is the first installment of the arranged loan," Djelic told Tanjug.

He said that one half of the funds will be used for budget support, while the other one will go to energy system, financing of road safety and health.

"As for the IMF, all measures have been taken in order to make the Fund approve the precautionary arrangement amounting to one billion euros," Djelic said.

He said that the main topic of the WB-IMF session is the economic crisis in the world and the eurozone, which, as he put it, is unbelievable in scale as it is the greatest one in the last 30 years.

Djelic on working visit to Washington
Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration Bozidar Djelic is on a working visit to Washington, where he will attend the Annual Meeting of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank from 23 to 26 September.

Djelic will head the Serbian delegation at bilateral meetings with leaders and representatives of the IMF and World Bank, and with the delegation of the Swiss Federation.

In addition to the Deputy Prime Minister, the Annual Meeting and bilateral meetings will be attended by Governor of the National Bank of Serbia and Governor of the Republic of Serbia in the IMF Dejan Soskic.

This meeting will look at global and individual interests of the member countries and will cover issues of poverty eradication, economic development, current activities of the World Bank and the IMF, as well as assistance to underdeveloped countries.