Henry Kerali to become World Bank regional director for South Caucasus soon

YEREVAN, June 21. /ARKA/. Henry Kerali, who served earlier as the World Bank transport director for Europe and Central Asia, has succeeded Asad Alam as the World Bank regional director for the South Caucasus and will take office on July 1. 

Asad Alam has served in this capacity in Armenia for three and a half years. 

He told journalists today that Armenia demonstrated real signs of recovery even amid the global economic instability. 

Alam said that Armenia enjoyed 4.7% economic growth in 2011, and the World Bank expects that this indicator will increase this year and in the next three years. 

He said that the World Bank’s cooperation with Armenia has become closer in the past three years – he regularly visited rural areas where the WB programs were implemented to see the improved roads, schools, hospitals and water reservoirs. 

Alam said that the best evidence of our work is the quality of the projects which have improved living standards of the citizens. 

He said he was pleased to hand the well-done job to Henry Kerali who will help to develop a strategy of cooperation with Armenia for the next few years. 

Kerali, on his side, reminded journalists that the World Bank has provided $1.6 billion to Armenia for two decades of its cooperation with the country and added that Armenia implements the WB programs better than other countries. 

He said that the World Bank provided money to some segments, including healthcare, education, social, road construction and energy sectors. 

Kerali quoted Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan as saying at their meeting today that Armenia’s cooperation with the Word Bank is effective and expressed wish for further improvement. 

He said that the World Bank will assist irrigation, healthcare, tax policy, small and mid-scale businesses, education and agriculture in Armenia in the next years. -0---