Inguna Dobraja Announced as World Bank Group Country Manager for Moldova

Chisinau, July 1, 2024 - Starting today, Inguna Dobraja becomes the World Bank Group Country Manager for Moldova, a position that will unify country-level leadership across the institution to better support Moldova's public and private sector priorities. This newly created position provides a single point of contact for access to the full breadth of World Bank Group products and services and will enhance the institutions' ability to address global challenges, and drive development with speed, efficiency, and impact.

"Despite the current crisis stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine as well as longstanding structural challenges, Moldova's EU candidate status, combined with strong reform momentum and climate-resilient investment, offers an opportunity for the country to foster long-term sustainable growth," said Inguna Dobraja, World Bank Country Manager for Moldova. "The World Bank Group's new Joint Representation will bolster our partnerships across the public and private sectors to help unleash the country's full potential and achieve this goal."

In Moldova, the World Bank Group works to support regulatory reform and boost green, resilient, and inclusive development and competitiveness with three key objectives: to create jobs, improve human capital, and increase green investment, particularly in infrastructure and agriculture. The current Country Partnership Framework for Moldova reflects this unified approach, with activities to support sustainable development and the country's goal to advance toward European Union accession, as well as capacity-building and digitization efforts to strengthen public and private sector systems and institutions.

Inguna Dobraja has been the World Bank's Country Manager for Moldova since 2021. Prior to that she was Country Manager for the Cambodia Country Office, and previously the Country Manager for the Liberia Country Office, where she oversaw the launch of several large infrastructure projects and the response to the country's Ebola epidemic. A Latvian national, Dobraja has been working in the World Bank for nearly 30 years and has extensive experience across its managerial, operational, and corporate functions.

The introduction ofjoint country representation is an important step towards building a stronger World Bank Group. Moldova is one of 21 World Bank Group offices transitioning to a single World Bank Group Country Manager or Resident Representative for the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), International Development Association (IDA), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA).

About the World Bank Group: The World Bank Group has a bold vision: to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. In more than 100 countries, the World Bank Group provides financing, advice, and innovative solutions that improve lives by creating jobs, strengthening economic growth, and confronting the most urgent global development challenges. The World Bank Group is one of the largest sources of funding and knowledge for developing countries. It consists of the World Bank, including the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA); the International Finance Corporation (IFC); the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org, www.miga.org, and www.ifc.org.