IMF to Open New Regional Office for Western Balkans

IMF News, June 14, 2019

Source details

Press Release No. 19/214
Date: June 14, 2019
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will open a new regional resident representative office to strengthen its relationship with Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Republic of North Macedonia.
Location: Vienna.
Operational timing: The office will be operational in the fall, at a date to be announced.

Maintain close engagement with the four countries (Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, and Republic of North Macedonia).
Strengthen relationships with donors, international institutions (including the World Bank), and the Austrian government, described as an important trade and development partner of the Western Balkan region.
Establishing the office as a regional office is described as cost-effective and intended to keep the IMF close to members in the region and leading development partners.

The new office will be headed by Stephanie Eble, currently the Fund’s mission chief for Kosovo.
Stephanie Eble: German national; has previously worked on Ukraine, Greece, Serbia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina; graduate from the London School of Economics.
Ms. Eble will oversee the local teams in the existing offices in Albania, Kosovo and North Macedonia, which will be maintained.
Serbia and Bosnia & Herzegovina, which have active IMF programs, will remain with their own representatives.

IMF Deputy Managing Director Tao Zhang said the office “will be an important part of our ongoing relationship with these four countries, as they pursue European Union accession.”
Tao Zhang met with the Governor of the Austrian National Bank, Ewald Nowotny, and Harald Waiglein, Director General of the Ministry of Finance, in Vienna.

IMF Press Release No. 19/214 — June 14, 2019

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