OREANDA-NEWS. January 20, 2014. The World Bank Regional Director for Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine Mr. Qimiao Fan is on a three-day working visit to Minsk to introduce Mr. Young Chul Kim, new World Bank Country Manager for Belarus, taking the post.

The World Bank Regional Director will have meetings with the Prime-Minister and key counterparts in the Government and the National Bank to discuss the first results and coordinated approach to the implementation of the World Bank Group Country Partnership Strategy for Bealrus for the period of 2014-2017. Meetings with civil society and academia will be devoted to discussion of oportunites for civil society and beneficiaries participation in the World Bank Group supported operations.

Mr. Kim, a South Korean national, joined the World Bank in 1986 and has worked in various positions in Economic Projections Department, International Economics Department, Debt Relief Operations Unit, and in the Africa Region.  He worked as Cluster Leader for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management from 2005 to 2011 overseeing Development Policy Operations in Malawi, Mozambique, and Uganda and Senior Operations Officer working on Angola and Mozambique in the World Bank’s Africa Region.

Mr. Kim studied International Law and International Economics at Yonsei University in Korea and the Johns Hopkins University in the U.S.  With over twenty-seven years of work experience at the World Bank, he brings a unique combination of strong analytical skills, keen understanding of development issues and extensive operational expertise to this position.

The current World Bank investment lending portfolio in Belarus includes 4 operations for a total amount of USD 467.5  million. Since Belarus joined the World Bank in 1992, commitments to the country have totaled USD 955 million. In addition, grant financing totaling USD 23.7 million has been provided to about 30 programs including those with civil society organizations.