Brussels, 17/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - EUR 850 million over two years (around one billion US dollars): this is the sum the international community promised at the international donors conference for Georgia on Wednesday and Thursday in Brussels, to help the country with its economic and social reforms. The most generous donors will be expected to define their commitments, are the USA, European Commission, Germany, United Kingdom, Sweden, World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The Commission was alone in publicly announcing the amount it intended to grant: EUR 125 million for 2004-06.
Underlining the enormous difficulties the country still has to face, Shigeo Katsu from the World Bank, nevertheless, indicated that the economic and social reform programme presented by the country has been, "supported unanimously" by all conference participants. In a press conference he declared that, "We are convinced that these are not just words". Georgian prime minister Zurab Zhvania, expressed his gratitude to donors and welcomed Russia's participation at the conference, even if it did not promise a donation, it had promised to cancel some of Georgia's foreign debt.