L. Joseph
Phone: (202) 473-7700
Fax: (202) 676-0365
E-mail: LJoseph@ifc.org


WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 11—Ms. Carol Lee, Vice President, International Finance Corporation (IFC) will lead a delegation to Cambodia and Lao P.D.R. as part of “Extending IFC’s Reach Initiative.” The delegation will be in Cambodia from December 8-11 and in Lao P.D.R. from December 11-15.

Ms. Lee said, “The purpose of the visit is to consult with government and industry leaders on IFC’s proposed activities in the region and will demonstrate IFC’s strong commitment to support the growth of the private sector in these two countries.”

The visit is part of “Extending IFC’s Reach Initiative,” a three-year pilot program, launched in 1996, to expand the geographic range of IFC’s activities to under-developed countries facing challenging conditions and constraints to private sector activity. Sixteen countries or clusters of countries were selected for this program, in which Cambodia and Lao P.D.R. are grouped together.

Accompanying Ms. Lee will be Mr. Harold Rosen, Manager, Southeast Asia; Mr. Rauf Diwan, Manager, Power; and Mr. Darius Lilaoonwala, Chief of IFC’s Regional Mission in Bangkok.

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, is the largest multilateral source of equity and loan financing for private sector projects in developing countries.