The European Commission and the World Bank (WB) will co-chair a donors’ conference for Georgia at ministerial level on October 22 in Brussels to raise funds for reconstruction of infrastructure damaged in the August war.

A World Bank-led needs assessment mission estimated that Georgia would need EUR 2.38 billion over the next three years in budget support, social sector support and for infrastructure development, the World Bank said in a press release on October 16.

The conference in Brussels, which will be co-chaired by Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the EU commissioner for external relations and neighbourhood policy, and World Bank Vice-President Shigeo Katsu, will be opened by key note addresses by European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner, Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze and Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg. The Czech Republic will take over the EU presidency from France in January 2009.