Today, at a meeting of donors from 38 countries and 19 international organisations, funding pledges of 307 million Euro (US$ 274 million) were secured to assist the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. This total exceeds the base financing requirements identified prior to the meeting.

Donors focused on three priority areas for support to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia: macro-economic assistance, rehabilitation and reconstruction for areas affected by the conflict, and financing of measures to be undertaken as part of the implementation of the Framework Agreement.¹ In addition, donors indicated another 271 million Euro (US$ 241 million) of donor assistance for general economic development purposes in 2002.

The donor meeting was co-chaired by Messrs. Reinhard Priebe, Director, Western Balkans, European Commission, and Christiaan Poortman, Country Director and Regional Coordinator for Southeast Europe, World Bank, in the context of the two institutions overall coordination responsibilities for Southeast Europe. The delegation from the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was led by Prime Minister, Mr. Ljubco Georgievski, and included Mr. Nikola Gruevski, Minister of Finance, and several other members of the Government.

Addressing the meeting, Mr. Priebe, European Commission Director, said 'The aim of this meeting is to help the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to resume the promising journey which it had begun in the months before the conflict, and to get back to the implementation of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU. This meeting has demonstrated strong and continuing support for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and gives the country and its people a chance to move forward.'

World Bank Director, Mr. Poortman agreed and added: 'The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia needs to continue with the economic reforms that lead to sustainable growth and increasing living standards, so important for a society that went through the shocks of the recent conflict. Indeed, long term economic recovery and growth will be an important element in the process of national reconciliation and integration. The World Bank is committed to help the country achieve this.'

Prime Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Ljubco Georgievski, thanked the donors for their support, and reaffirmed his Government's commitment to the full implementation of the Framework Agreement in order to achieve durable peace. He concluded, 'The assistance we have requested from you is of essential importance for a return to peace, security and multi-ethnic cohabitation in our country. I am convinced that by virtue of this donors' meeting, we will leave behind us our political and economic insecurity, and turn a new page of economic prosperity and accelerated economic development in our country and the region as a whole.'

See FYR Macedonia Donors' Meeting page

See Chairmen's Conclusions

See FYR Macedonia page

¹ The Framework Agreement (FA) was signed on August 13, 2001, by all the major parties of the country and marked the end of the six-month long political and security crisis. The FA commits the parties to it to introduce a number of constitutional amendments, legislative modifications, and structural reforms designed to end inter-ethnic tensions and restore a stable political environment by strengthening the civic character of the state and expanding the rights of minorities. The full text of the agreement is available at http://www.seerecon.org/mdm