President Iohannis welcomes World Bank Chief Executive Georgieva

President Klaus Iohannis welcomed World Bank Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kristalina Georgieva at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace on Wednesday, with the WB official emphasising the crucial importance of the rule of law institutions and investment in human capital in terms of the economic development of a country. According to a press statement released by the Presidential Administration, discussed at the meeting was the work of the World Bank in Romania, with President Iohannis thanking WB for its programmes and projects carried out in Romania. "Kristalina Georgieva praised Romania for its actions as holder of the presidency of the Council of the European Union, particularly amidst multiple challenges facing the EU. The World Bank executive director underlined the crucial importance of the state of law institutions and investment in human capital, especially in young people in terms of the economic development of a country. In this respect, Kristalina Georgieva mentioned the World Bank projects in Romania in the field of education and health, which have proved their efficiency and usefulness in terms of their development." Iohannis hailed the efforts of the World Bank in support of these two areas in Romania, mentioning the need for investing in education and healthcare, and highlighting the potential of his "Educated Romania" project. Georgieva also mentioned the essential importance of regional integration and connectivity, especially in the Balkans, pointing to World Bank projects promoting connectivity and infrastructure investments, including municipal infrastructure, road and maritime transport, and uniform road tolls. Iohannis mentioned in his turn the importance of removing regional interconnection barriers and advocated investment and trade facilitation in the Balkans. AGERPRES (RO - author: Florentina Peia, editor: Andreea Rotaru; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)