Jerusalem, 13 February 1996
BANK OF ISRAEL TO HOST IMF/WORLD BANK CONSTITUENCY MEETING
(Communicated by Bank of Israel Spokesman)
BANK OF ISRAEL AND FINANCE MINISTRY HOSTING JERUSALEM MEETING OF FINANCE
MINISTERS AND CENTRAL BANKERS FOR DISCUSSIONS ON SUBJECTS RELATED TO
INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND AND WORLD BANK.
The Bank of Israel and the Finance Ministry will, from 17-19.2.96 host a
conference of finance ministers, central bankers, and other senior
officials from the 12 countries comprising the Constituency Group of
Countries with which Israel is associated in the International Monetary
Fund and the World Bank.
The countries comprising the group are: Israel, Netherlands, Ukraine,
Romania, Bulgaria, Georgia, Cyprus, Croatia, Moldavia, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Armenia, and Macedonia. About 50 finance ministry and central bank
officials, including 11 finance ministers and 11 central bankers will
attend.
The purpose of the meeting is to hold consultations and discussions
between the economic heads of the participating members concerning
subjects which are on the current agenda of the IMF and the World Bank.
The subjects include policy issues as well as issues specific to only a
number of the countries especially those which are in the process of
changing from a managed economy to a market economy (those of the former
Soviet Union and those in Eastern Europe).
On Sunday, 18.02.96, a seminar will take place focusing on surveying the
world's economy, with a special emphasis on the countries which are making
the transition from managed to market economies. Lecturers in this session
will be IMF First Deputy Managing Director, Prof. Stanley Fischer; World
Bank Senior Vice-President for Development Economics and Chief Economist,
Prof. Michael Bruno; European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
First Vice-President, Mr. Ron Freeman; and Bank of Israel Governor, Prof.
Jacob Frenkel.
This will be the third meeting of the group; it is taking place in
Jerusalem after Israel positively replied to the Netherland's request that
Israel host the meeting. The first two meetings were held in the
Netherlands. The Bank of Israel's Foreign Affairs Division, which is
responsible for relations with international economic bodies, has
organized the conference.