Georgian leader meets IMF and World Bank representatives

26 Feb, 2004

Georgia's new leader, Mikhail Saakashvili, met International Monetary Fund and World Bank officials on Tuesday in his first visit to Washington since he led a bloodless revolution last year and became president.
Saakashvili met Takatoshi Kato, the IMF's deputy managing director, and discussed the state of the Georgian economy and relations with the global lender, a fund spokesperson said.
"At the meeting, Mr. Kato confirmed that the IMF mission had recently reached agreement ad referendum on an economic program that could be supported by an arrangement under the Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility," the spokesperson said.
The proposed program is expected to be presented to the IMF executive board for approval in the spring.
Saakashvili, a 36-year-old US trained lawyer, won elections by a landslide after forcing the resignation of Eduard Shevardnadze last November. He has vowed to unite the ethnically divided ex-Soviet republic and fight widespread corruption.

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