"The World Bank welcomes the decision of the EU Heads of States and Governments and commits itself to helping Croatia implement the economic and social reforms which are central to its goal to become a competitive member of the European Union," the statement quoted Shigeo Katsu, Regional Vice-President for Europe and Central Asia, as saying.
"In implementing our new Croatia Country Assistance Strategy, we will apply the experience and knowledge gained in supporting the new member states of the EU," he added.
The statement further quoted Anand K. Seth, Country Director for Croatia, Bulgaria and Romania, as saying that the European Council's decision "marks a historic moment" for Croatia. "As Croatia now officially embarks on the challenging path of EU accession, the World Bank, through its new Country Assistance Strategy 2005-08, will support creating conditions for increased growth and rise in living standards, paving the way for full integration into the EU."
"The new Croatia Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for 2005-08 was discussed (on Tuesday) by the World Bank's Board of Executive Directors. The CAS has been designed to support the main strategic objective of the Croatian government of successful accession to the European Union, so that Croatia enters the EU as a dynamic and competitive economy that can rapidly achieve convergence to EU living standards," the statement said.