*EPF114 09/17/01
Text: World Bank, IMF Cancel Annual Meetings in Washington
(Business will continue uninterrupted, says Wolfensohn) (290)

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have cancelled their annual meetings scheduled for September 29-30 in Washington, according to a September 17 IMF announcement.

Following is the text:

(begin text)

September 17, 2001

International Monetary Fund
700 19th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20431 USA

World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund
Will Not Hold Annual Meetings

The World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund (IMF) will not hold the Annual Meetings of their Boards of Governors and related committees on September 29-30, 2001, in Washington, D.C.

World Bank President James Wolfensohn and IMF Managing Director Horst KĄŚler issued the following joint statement:

"In consultation with the U.S. authorities and other member governments, the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund have decided not to hold their Annual Meetings on September 29-30, 2001. The normal business of the Bank and the Fund will not be interrupted. Alternative arrangements for conducting the required business of the meetings will be determined. We expect to return to the normal schedule for Bank and Fund meetings in 2002.

"This decision was taken out of deepest respect and sympathy for the families of all those touched by the horrific events of last Tuesday, and in order to dedicate law enforcement personnel fully to the extraordinary and immediate priorities at hand.

"We would also like to express our heartfelt appreciation to the District of Columbia, in particular, for its hard work to prepare a secure environment for the meetings."

(end text)

(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
NNNN