OREANDA-NEWS. May 27, 2011. Parliament Speaker, acting President Marian Lupu today met World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia Philippe H. Le Houerou, the parliament's media relations department has said.

Philippe H. Le Houerou introduced to the head of state the new World Bank manager for Moldova, Abdoulaye Seck.

President Marian Lupu welcomed the new WB representative for Moldova and wished him success.

"The World Bank is one of the most important strategic partners for Moldova; this partnership should be developed and extended," Marian Lupu said.

The president said that, in the period after 1992, when Moldova became member of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and World Bank Group, over 60 joint projects worth 650 million dollars have been implemented in Moldova.

President Marian Lupu ascertained that "Moldova and the World Bank have the same visions about the country economic development."

"With the World Bank's support, we intend to change the structure and genesis of economic development, get economic growth on production basis, thus settling the economic problems, as well as the social ones," Marian Lupu said.

Philippe H. Le Houerou positively appreciated the reforms started in Moldova.

The World Bank vice president noted that Moldova quickly recovered from the crisis, and has already recorded an economic growth. "Now, we should agree upon the next steps that must be jointly undertaken to step up this economic growth," Philippe H. Le Houerou said.

The participants in the meeting agreed that a report on the carrying out of a World Bank-Moldova partnership strategy for 2009-2012 is to be presented in the parliament immediately after the 5 June local polls.