Zagreb, September 1, 2010 – Mr. Hongjoo J. Hahm, the new World Bank Country Manager is visiting Croatia for the first time prior to his official appointment on October 1, 2010. During the visit, Mr. Hahm will be accompanied by Mr. Andras Horvai, the former World Bank Country Manager for Croatia. The objective of the visit is for Mr. Hahm to become more familiar with the country, through meetings with government officials, opinion makers, members of the business community and other stakeholders, as well as to see the impact and the benefits of World Bank financed projects in Croatia.
The main World Bank mission across the globe is to help eradicate poverty and provide policy advice to countries on ways to raise the long-term economic growth in sustainable manner while taking care of the poor and the vulnerable. In Croatia, the World Bank‘s support focuses on helping the country get as prepared as possible for EU membership, with a growing and competitive economy, while at the same time improving the quality of life of its citizens and making sure that the most vulnerable are protected.
The Bank has been engaging with Government of Croatia on policy dialogue around critical reforms aimed at spurring economic recovery. The Bank remains ready to continue supporting the government’s efforts to implement the Economic Recovery Program.
Since Croatia joined the World Bank in 1993, the Bank has been active in providing financial and technical assistance, policy advice and analytical services to Croatia. To date, the Bank has offered support for 45 operations with a total value of US$3 billion, and it has approved 52 grants with a total value of US$70 million. Currently 15 projects are under implementation with a total commitment value of around US$1.2 billion.
