Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- A delegation of the EBRD Board of Directors will be visiting Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic during the period of 14-19 September 2009.

The visit is part of a regular series of consultations that enable the EBRD Directors to obtain up to date information on developments in the Bank’s countries of operation.

Representatives of the EBRD Board on this visit will include:

• Kurt Bayer, representing Austria/Israel/Cyprus/Malta/Kazakhstan/Bosnia & Herzegovina
• Golan Benita, representing Israel, Austria, Cyprus, Malta, Kazakhstan, Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Alain de Cointet, representing France
• Joao Cravinho, representing Portugal and Greece
• Virginia Gheorghiu, representing Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia
• Werner Gruber, representing Switzerland, Turkey, Liechtenstein, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyz Republic, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Serbia and Montenegro
• David Martínez Hornillos, representing Spain and Mexico
• Ib Katznelson, representing Denmark, Ireland, Lithuania and FYR Macedonia
• Kalin Mitrev, representing Bulgaria, Poland, Albania
• Simon Ray, representing United Kingdom
• Joachim Schwarzer, representing Germany

During the visit to Kazakhstan, starting on 14 September, members of the EBRD delegation will meet the Kazakh Prime Minister, Karim Masimov, the Chairman of National Bank of Kazakhstan, Grigory Marchenko, and other senior officials of the Kazakh government, as well as representatives of the business community, international financial institutions (IFIs) and local NGOs.

The purpose of the visit is to get an update on the priorities of the Kazakh government on the expected role of the EBRD in the context of the forthcoming strategy for Kazakhstan.

The EBRD delegation will arrive in the Kyrgyz Republic on 17 September. Over the course of the two-day visit to Bishkek, EBRD directors will have a meeting with the Kyrgyz President, Kurmanbenk Bakiev, as well as with senior governmental officials, representatives of IFIs and NGOs and Kyrgyz business leaders.

With total commitments of over 2 billion euros in Kazakhstan and more than 140 million euros in the Kyrgyz Republic, the EBRD is one of the largest investors in the two countries.