Military

DATE=04/13/03

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=WORLD BANK WRAP (S)

NUMBER=2-302167

BYLINE=BARRY WOOD

DATELINE=WASHINGTON

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

INTRO: The 184-nation World Bank and International Monetary Fund ended their semi-annual meeting in Washington Sunday with agreement to send a needs assessment mission to Iraq. V-O-A's Barry Wood reports Iraq reconstruction was a principal theme of the meeting.

TEXT: The World Bank and I-M-F are likely to send a fact-finding team to Iraq within the next few weeks. Shareholders have asked both institutions to help in Iraq's reconstruction.

However, officials caution that neither the I-M-F nor the World Bank is likely to play a significant role in rebuilding Iraq. Their assistance will be largely technical -- helping Iraq to manage its oil earnings. Any additional cash would come mainly from individual donor countries.

Economic policymakers leave Washington encouraged that the pace of global growth may soon pick up. The war in Iraq did not trigger a big spike in oil prices and there is an expectation that oil prices will decline in the months ahead.

Despite differences over Iraq between the major powers, the industrial nations pledged to cooperate to strengthen the global economy and assure that negotiations aimed at expanding trade reach a successful conclusion. Developing countries say they've been assured that aid money for Iraq will not diminish aid flows to poor countries. (signed)

NEB/BDW/MAR