From 12 till 14 April Antonio Maria Costa, EBRD Secretary General, Dr.
Kari Nars, EBRD Managing Director for Finland, Norway and Latvia, Gilbert Sabathe, EBRD
Assistant Secretary General, and George Krivicky, EBRD Director for the Baltic States,
came on their last working visit to Riga before the EBRD Board of Governors' Annual
Meeting to be held in Riga on 20-22 May 2000. In the course of his visit A.M.Costa met
with Vaira Vike-Freiberga, President of Latvia. The President of Latvia pointed out that
business people from all over the world would be offered an opportunity to ascertain that
Latvia is a country attractive for investment. The possible participation of the President
of Latvia in the activities of the EBRD Meeting was also discussed.
During his meeting with Andris Skele, the Prime Minister of Latvia, who
had resigned from his office recently, the EBRD Secretary General admitted that the former
Government had managed to achieve appreciable success in implementing economic reforms and
promoting accession policy to the European Union. At the close of his visit A.M.Costa and
Roberts Zile, Minister of Special Assignment for Co-operation with International Financial
Agencies, gave a press conference for media representatives. The EBRD Secretary General
informed the gathered audience that interest in the Meeting in Riga exceeded that of the
previous meetings. He also said that the Meeting would be attended by great many top
officials. According to A.M.Costa, half of the 1200 business guests of the EBRD Annual
Meeting had already confirmed their participation.
