Press Releases 2004

The U.S. Agency for International Development will host a one-day seminar in Warsaw on March 4, to celebrate the successful economic transformation of eight Central European countries from centrally planned economies to EU membership in fifteen years. All eight (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) are beneficiaries of USAID's Partners for Financial Stability Program, which has offered more than $6 million in more than 100 separate programs of technical assistance in the financial sector since 1999. The conference's theme is "celebrating success and moving forward," which will highlight the progress these eight countries have made and develop lessons learned from their transition, which could be applied to other countries undergoing a similar transition. During the conference, five panels will examine specific aspects of this transition, including financial sector regulations, regional markets developments, pension and insurance issues, international accounting standards and corporate governance.

What: USAID seminar on economic transformation in Poland and Central Europe Where: Sheraton Warsaw Prusa 2 Warsaw

When: Wednesday, March 4, 2004, 8:30 - 17:30

Contact: Jim Bond, Press Attaché Dick Custin, Asst. Press Attaché (22) 504-2323