Brussels, 11/12/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission and the World Bank are organising, on Tuesday in Brussels, a coordination meeting for donors to the Balkans. This meeting will mainly be dedicated to Serbia. It is not aimed at gathering promises for donations, but to allow for information exchanges and coordination, for actions on the ground, between the donors, explain the organisers of the meeting. The United Nations as well as the European Commission will then be responsible for ensuring that donations are effectively made. The discussions will be based upon an assessment made by the United Nations of the urgent needs in Serbia. According to the United Nations, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia would need, Kosovo included, from December 200 to May 2001, USD 1,448 million. In this amount, after having taken into account the donation promises already made, it still lacks USD 459.8 million.
Tuesday, the Commission and the World Bank will also discuss their assessment of the medium-term economic needs of the FRY. When the final report is ready - the Commission and the World Bank say they do not know when that will be - a true donors conference will be organised.