BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 15. Odile Renaud-Basso, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), will visit Bulgaria and Romania next week to meet with government officials and business representatives, Trend reports.
The visit comes as the bank prepares new five-year strategies for both countries, which will be subject to public consultation later this year.
EBRD investments in Bulgaria more than doubled last year, reaching 272 million euros, while in Romania, investments increased to 707 million euros. The bank’s focus remains on supporting the green economy transition, decarbonization efforts, capital market development, and economic growth in both countries.
In Bulgaria, Renaud-Basso will meet with President Rumen Radev, Prime Minister Rosen Jeliazkov, Minister of Finance Temenuzhka Petkova, Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov, and the Governor of Bulgaria’s National Bank, Dimitar Radev. She will also hold discussions with business leaders and diplomats.
In Romania, she will meet with Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, Minister of Finance Tanczos Barna, and Energy Minister Sebastian Burduja, along with representatives from the private sector and civil society.
Renaud-Basso will be accompanied in Bulgaria by EBRD Managing Director for Central and South-Eastern Europe Charlotte Ruhe and EBRD Head of Bulgaria Manuela Naessl. In Romania, she will be joined by EBRD Director and Head of Romania, Victoria Zinchuk.
To date, the EBRD has invested more than 4.7 billion euros in Bulgaria, with a focus on competitiveness, sustainable infrastructure, and financial sector development. In Romania, total investments exceed 11.6 billion euros, targeting green infrastructure, corporate resilience, and capital market development.