Contact: Naheed Mehta

Contact: Naheed Mehta 1-914-360-6455 Baghdad, Iraq...September 21, 2003— CENTRAL EUROPEAN EXPERTS OFFER ADVICE TO CPA Central European experts on economic reform are meeting in Baghdad on 20-21 September to offer advice to Iraqi and CPA officials. They have detailed knowledge of the economic transformation that took place in Central Europe in the 1990s and are willing to share their experiences. The meeting has attracted several former Prime Ministers and Finance Ministers. They will discuss the lessons learned during the economic reform in Central Europe. They will be addressing current Iraqi Interim Ministers, academia, civil servants as well as CPA officials. Head of the Council for International Coordination, Marek Belka, Chairman of the meeting, said: “Each Central European country thought its situation was unique when it started its economic transformation, but over time they all realized they are many common themes. Borrowing from other countries’ experiences makes sense and that is what we hope to do today.” The meeting will cover the following topics: What was done right and what was done wrong; privatization of state owned enterprises; private sector development; fiscal policy, budget and taxation and building consensus for reform. Attached are biographies for all the attendees. EUROPEAN EXPERTS FOR IRAQ-CENTRAL EUROPE "LESSONS LEARNED" CONFERENCE 20-21 SEPTEMBER 2003 BULGARIA Krassen Stanchev Executive Director, Institute for Market Economics; former Member of Parliament. Expertise: transition to market economy, development of small and medium-sized enterprises. Martin Zaimov Executive Director, Bulgarian Postal Bank; former Deputy Governor, Bulgarian Central Bank (1997-2002). Expertise: financial markets, currency board arrangements. CZECH REPUBLIC Vladimir Dlouhy Economic Consultant, Goldman Sachs and ABB; former Member of Parliament; former Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of Czech State Planning Commission (1989), former Minister of Economy (1990-1992); former Minister of Industry and Trade (1992-1997). Experience: foreign assistance coordination, energy, industrial and agricultural policy. Expertise: privatization of state-owned enterprises; improving the investment climate; trade liberalization, fostering political consensus for economic reform. Pavel Kysilka Chief Economist, Czech Savings Bank; former Vice Governor, Czech National Bank. Experience: currency division and introduction of new currency. Expertise: banking and capital markets, privatization. ESTONIA Vaino Sarnet Estonian Business Consultant; former Head of Estonian Privatization Agency. HUNGARY Peter Akos Bod former Minister of Trade; former President, Hungarian Central Bank; former member of the board, EBRD; former World Bank official. Expertise: private sector development and privatization of state-owned enterprises. LATVIA Ilmars Rimsevics Governor, Bank of Latvia (since 2001); former Deputy Governor, Bank of Latvia (1998-2001); Deputy Chairman of the Economics Committee of the Popular Front of Latvia (1989-1990), Manager of Foreign Operations Department and Head of Securities Department at the commercial bank Latvijas Zemes Banka (1990-1992); former Chair, Board of Governors of the Bank of Latvia and Chairman of the Executive Board of the Bank of Latvia. LITHUANIA Ugnius Trumpa President, Lithuanian Free Market Institute. Expertise: development of small and medium-sized businesses, access to capital, improving the investment climate, deregulation policy and fostering political consensus for economic reform. POLAND Krysztof Lis Privatization expert. Expertise: privatization, business climate. Marek Dabrowski Former First Deputy Finance Minister, former Member of Parliament, current Member of the Council of Monetary Policy and Chairman of the Center for Social and Economic Research. Expertise: banking, macroeconomic and fiscal policies. ROMANIA Eugen Dijmarescu Minister Delegate for Trade; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance (1990-1991); Counselor to the Prime Minister (1991-1992), State Counselor to the Prime Minister for Economic Policies (2002-2003); Vice-President of the Upper House of Parliament (1992-1994), State Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2000). Expertise: trade liberalization, investment climate, and fostering political consensus for economic reform. RUSSIA Yegor Gaidar Former Prime Minister, former Acting Minister of Economy and Finance, current Member of the Duma. Expertise: macroeconomics. SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO Bozidar Djelic Minister for Finance and Economy. Expertise: exchange rates, privatization, macroeconomic policy, price liberalization. SLOVAKIA Eugen Jurzyca Director, Institute for Economic and Social Reforms (INEKO) Expertise: structural reform, public sector transformation. .