Fourth Poverty Reduction Strategies Forum

Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and UNMIK/Kosovo

June 26-27, 2007, Athens, Greece

AGENDA

Day 1, Tuesday, June 26 / Day 2, Wednesday, June 27
8:30-9:30 / Registration
9:30-9:45 / Opening/Welcome remarks on behalf of the World Bank (WB), Department for International Development (DFID), International Monetary Fund (IMF), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), European Commission (EC)
Orsalia Kalantzopoulos, Country Director, South East Europe, World Bank / 9:00-10:45 / Plenary: Current Developments in the EnergySector
Chair: Charles Feinstein, Energy Sector Manager Europe and Central Asia, WB
Speakers:
1. Michael Caramanis, President RAE, Greece
2. Milko Kovachev, Former Minister of Energy, Bulgaria
3. Laszlo Varro, Former Director of Economics, Hungarian Energy Office, Hungary.
4. Zbigniew Kominek, Principal Economist, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development(EBRD)
9:45- 11:15 / Recent Progress in PRSP Implementation
Chair: Orsalia Kalantzopoulos, Country Director, South East Europe, WB
Speakers:
1. Albana Vokshi, Director, Department of Strategy and Donor Coordination, Albania
2. Azemina Vukovic, Head of MTDS Implementation Unit, Directorate for Economic Planning, BosniaHerzegovina
3. Haki Shatri, Minister of Economy and Finance,UNMIK/Kosovo
4. Snezana Delevska, Ministry of Finance, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
5. Snezana Mijuskovic, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Welfare,Montenegro
6. Alexandra Jovic, Head, PRS Unit, Government of Serbia, Serbia
Q & A Session
11:15- 1130 / Coffee Break / 10:45-11:15 / Coffee Break
11:30-1:00 / PRSPs and Aid Architecture
Chair: Renzo Davidi, Acting Head of Operations, Kosovo Unit,European Commission
Speakers:
1. Luca Barbone, Sector Director, Poverty Reductionand Development Effectiveness Department,World Bank
2. Ana Redzic, Deputy Program Manager, Department for International Development (DFID)Belgrade, Serbia / 11:15-2:45 / Parallel Session I:
I. Private Participation in the Energy Sector
Chair: Haki Shatri, Minister of Economy and Finance, UNMIK/Kosovo
Speakers:
1. Angelo Dell’Atti, General Manager, International Finance Corporation, Private Enterprise Partnership Southeast Europe – Infrastructure
2. Florin Gugu, Director, Enel Romania, Romania
3. Karl Heinz Grassmann, Vice-President, EVN, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
II. Regional Energy Market in Southeast Europe
Chair: Snezana Delevska, Ministry of Finance, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Speakers:
1. Henk Busz, Former Energy Sector Manager,Europe and Central Asia,World Bank
2. Michael Thomadakis, Vice-President, RAE, Greece
3. Edin Zametica, Chief of Staff, State Electricity Regulatory Commission, BosniaHerzegovina
III. Energy efficiency, renewable energy and environment
Chair: Azemina Vukovic, Head of MTDS Implementation Unit, Directorate for Economic Planning, BosniaHerzegovina
Speakers:
1. Charles Feinstein, Energy Sector Manager ECA, World Bank
2. Bojan Kovacic, Deputy Director, Energy Efficiency Agency, Serbia
3. Aleksandar Kovacevic, Energy Advisor, UNDP, Serbia
1:00-2:15 / Lunch
Welcome Remarks by Greek Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Evripidis
Stylianidis / 12:45-2:00 / Lunch
Keynote Address by the Greek Minister of Economy and Finance
Mr. George Alogoskoufis
2:15-3:45 / Plenary: Regional Integration for Sustainable Growth and Poverty Reduction
Chair: Helen Louri, Chief, Bureau of the Economic Affairs, Office of the Prime Minister, Greece
Speakers:
1. Mart Laar, Parliamentarian and Head of the Conservative Party, Estonia
2. Andris Berzins, Ex Prime Minister, Member of Parliament, Latvia
3. Sanjay Kathuria, Lead Economist, World Bank
4. Nikos Christodoulakis, Co-Chair, World Bank Parliamentarian, Network of the South East Europe Chapter, Greece / 2:00-3:30 / Parallel Session II:
I. Power Sector and Fiscal Issues
Chair: Richard Harmsen, Senior Economist, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Speakers:
1. Ilir Zeqo, Director of the Economic Department, KESH, Albania
2. Hajdar Korbi, Head, Macroeconomic Unit, MoF, UNMIK/Kosovo
3. Atanasko Tuneski, General Director, MEPSO, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
4. Vuk Djokovic, Director, Center for Advanced Economic Studies, Serbia
II. Regulatory Issues: Tariffs and Service Quality
Chair: Albana Vokshi, Director, Department of Strategy and Donor coordination, Albania
Speakers:
1. Eric Groom, Senior Regulatory Specialist, WB
2. Slove Ivanovski, President Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) ofthe Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
3. Theranda Beqiri, Board member, ERO, UNMIK/Kosovo
III.Tariff reforms and design of social assistance strategies
Chair: Snezana Mijuskovic, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Welfare, Montenegro
Speakers:
1. David Coady, Senior Economist,IMF
2. Zbignew Kominek, Principal Economist, EBRD
3. Dragana Radevic, Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development, Montenegro
4. Edin Sabanovic, BiH Statistics Agency, BosniaHerzegovina
IV. Political Economy of Energy Reform and Communication Strategies (a case study)
Chair:
Screening of “Switch”, a documentary film on energy reforms inArmenia
3:45-4:00 / Coffee Break / 3:30-3:45 / Coffee Break
4:00-5:30 / Plenary: Challenges of Social Inclusion
Chair: Rachel Hinton, Western Balkans Program, DFID
Speakers:
1. Kastriot Sulka, Albania Deputy Minister, Ministry of Labor and Social
Welfare.
2. Ljiljana Lucic, State Secretary, Ministry of Labor and Social Policy, Serbia
3. Nadir Redzhepi, Roma Democratic Development Association:SONCE / 3:45- 5:30 / Report Back from Parallel Sessions and Discussion
Chair: Luca Barbone, Sector Director, Poverty Reduction Board, World Bank
Closing Remarks
Luca Barbone, Sector Director, Poverty Reductionand Development Effectiveness Department, World Bank
Theodoris Skylakakis, Hellenic Foreign Affairs, Secretary General for
Bilateral Economic Relations and Development Cooperation
5:30 - onwards / Opening dinner / 6:00-onwards / Dinner