The World Bank Group Managing Director, Graeme Wheeler, will be visiting Moldova on December 7-10, 2006. This visit, which will be his first to Moldova, is to familiarize him with the country and to learn first hand, about the development challenges confronting the country and actions being undertaken in addressing them. This visit comes a few days prior to the Consultative Meeting on Moldova, to be held in Brussels on December 12. Wheeler will be leading the World Bank Group delegation to the Consultative Group Meeting of Donors for Moldova. It presents Wheeler with the opportunity to discuss with the authorities ongoing reform efforts to reduce poverty and promote share growth, as outlined in Moldova’s Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy and the EU-Moldova Action Plan. Also, he will learn about actions being undertaken to address recent external price shocks, which threaten progress in poverty reduction and economic growth. He will visit a number of projects financed by the World Bank, and explore and exchange views with authorities and local stakeholders, on ways further World Bank assistance in achieving greater development impact on the ground. Graeme Wheeler will meet with President Vladimir Voronin, Speaker of the Parliament Marian Lupu, Prime Minister Vasile Tarlev, First Deputy Prime Minister Zinaida Greceanii and other government officials, leaders of Parliament Factions, donors, representatives of Moldovan civil society and business community. During his visit to Moldova Wheeler will be accompanied by the World Bank Director for Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova, Paul Bermingham, and Edward Brown, Country Manager for Moldova. Graeme Wheeler is a specialist in management issues associated with treasury operations, sovereign asset and liability management. He was appointed as Managing Director of the World Bank in April 2006. He has been Vice President and Treasurer of the World Bank since July 2001.