2005-02-25
Mr Leszek Balcerowicz, President of the National Bank of Poland (NBP), will be visiting Lithuania. He will also pay a visit to the Bank of Lithuania and will meet Reinoldijus Sarkinas, Chairman of the Board.
The purpose of the visit is to discuss important economic issues in Lithuania and Poland and prospects of cooperation between the two national central banks.
On this occasion, a round-table discussion on the subject “Experience of Convergence and the Path to the Euro”, including the participants from public institutions, academics and financial analysts, will be held at the Bank of Lithuania on February 28. Mr Balcerowicz will make a presentation “Successes and Failures in Catching-Up” at the forum.
Mr Algirdas Butkevicius, Minister of Finance, will make a speech on the subject “Lithuanian Fiscal Policy in Preparation for the Euro”.
The forum will continue the dialogue between the two countries on important issues of the experience and prospects of economic reforms and financial policies, in particular with respect to the adoption of the euro.
Since Lithuania and Poland became members of the European Union, the central banks of both countries have been expanding their cooperation, including preparation to join the euro area.
During the visit of Mr Sarkinas in Warsaw on 13 July 2004, the National Bank of Poland held a seminar where the BoL Chairman of the Board made a presentation “Lithuania’s Path to the Euro Area”.
The programme of the visit of the President of the NBP also includes a meeting with President Valdas Adamkus, a visit to Kaunas and a meeting with the Mayor of Kaunas.
A press conference dedicated to the visit of the President of the NBP and the forum at the Bank of Lithuania will be held at the Bank of Lithuania from 11 to 11.30 am on February 28.