May 16 (SeeNews) - The European Bank for Regional Development (EBRD) said on Thursday it has appointed Manuela Naessl as head of operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Manuela Naessl, a German national, will take over from current head of office in Sarajevo, Ian Brown, on October 1, EBRD said in a statement.
The new appointment comes after the 2019 EBRD Annual Meeting and Business Forum held in Sarajevo earlier this month.
“I am very proud and honoured to take on this role and task. Our latest Annual Meeting has impressively demonstrated the EBRD’s commitment to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Western Balkans and for me this will be the guidance for our future operations," Naessl said in the statement.
"Combining investments with policy reform engagement the Bank will support in particular the private sector, the promotion of the country’s regional cooperation and European integration and the development of the green economy, building on the strong foundations my predecessor has laid."
Manuela Naessl joined the EBRD in 2011 from the World Bank. At the EBRD she worked in the energy and natural resources teams and played a key role in the delivery of the 2014 Energy Sector Strategy.
EBRD has said it plans to commit up to 400 million euro ($448.4 million) to Bosnia in 2019 alone. To date, the bank has invested 2.3 billion euro through almost 160 projects in the Western Balkan country.
($ = 0.892153 euro)