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EBRD First Vice President to visit Georgia
Noreen Doyle, First Vice President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, will meet President Eduard Shevardnadze, Minister of Finance Mirian Gogiashvili and other government officials, as well as local business leaders and locally based representatives of the international community, during a two-day visit to Tbilisi beginning Thursday. Ms Doyle will discuss EBRD operations in Georgia and intends to reiterate the Bank's support for Georgia's ongoing economic reforms and continuing transition towards a market economy.
The EBRD is one of the largest investors in Georgia, having committed €197 million via 17 projects. The Bank is focusing its efforts on supporting the development of infrastructure, particularly in the energy and transport sectors, expanding its financing of the financial sector and the development of a dynamic private sector.
Together with Georgian partner banks and the Microfinance Bank of Georgia, the EBRD is continuing to provide funding to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and microenterprises. The EBRD also aims to help Georgia benefit from its privileged location as a regional transport hub and is evaluating potential oil and gas transit projects. The Bank's main objective is to expand its activities in support of the private sector in Georgia and work to help improve the investment climate.
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