Mukherjee meets World Bank President

New Delhi, Dec 2 (ANI): World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick today met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to discuss a wide range of issues following the financial crisis.

The Finance Minister applauded the World Bank for their increased lending despite the economic slow down and expressed his gratitude to Zoellick for approving several loan packages to India amounting to 4.3 billion dollars in a single day in September 2009.

Robert B. Zoellick praised India for being the largest borrower of the World Bank and looked for future support in widening its capital base.

Pranab Mukherjee conveyed the World Bank President that India has eagerly supported a 200 percent capital increase for the Asian Development Bank.

Isabel Guerrero, Vice-President for South Asia, Roberto Zagha, Country Director-India, Paolo M. Martelli, Director, IFC, and Julia Nielson, Assistant to the President accompanied the World Bank President.

Mukherjee was accompanied by Pulok Chatterji, Executive Director, World Bank, Omita Paul, Adviser to the Finance Minister, L M Vas, Additional Secretary (Economic Affairs), and Anup K. Pujari, Joint Secretary.

This was their second meeting in the last three months. The two had met earlier at Istanbul during the Annual Meetings of the World Bank/ IMF in October 2009. (ANI)