Brussels - The Brussels-based Secretariat of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe has been reinforced with the arrival of two new Directors responsible for the strategic development and day-to-day operations of Working Table I  - Democratisation and Human Rights and Working Table II - Economic Reconstruction, Co-operation and Development, as well as with a new Deputy Head of Cabinet.

Marijana Grandits replaces Jean-Daniel Bieler as Director of Working Table I. Given her extensive work in the area of reconciliation and democratisation in the former Yugoslavia and her previous experience as a member of the Austrian Parliament, Ms Grandits is well  placed to ensure Working Table I maintains its focus on strengthening Local Democracy, encouraging active Cross Border Co-operation and improving co-operation among SEE Parliaments. These priorities were set at the meeting of the Regional Table in Skopje in November 2004.

Laurent Guye, like his predecessor Bernard Snoy, brings considerable operational experience of international financing institutions (IFIs) to his new position. Before joining the Stability Pact, Mr Guye, a Swiss National, worked as the Executive Director at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) where he represented, among others, Serbia and Montenegro in the Board of Directors. His extensive experience of economic development issues will also facilitate Working Table II's work in its priority areas of Trade, Investment and Employment, as well as Energy and Regional Infrastructure.

The Cabinet of the Special Co-ordinator will also be reinforced with the arrival of Soili Kangaskorpi who will take over the role of Deputy Head of Cabinet from Charlotta Ozaki-Macias. Ms Kangaskorpi, who will be in charge of contacts with the European Institutions and management issues, was previously posted to Finland's Permanent Mission to the United Nations and was subsequently Deputy Head of the Finish Embassy in Poland. Ms Kangaskorpi joins the Stability Pact Secretariat after being in responsible for Romania and the Phare assistance programme at the Foreign Ministry in Helsinki.

More details are available by consulting the Who's Who Section on the Stability Pact web page:
http://www.stabilitypact.org/whois/default.asp

For further information, please contact Stability Pact's Spokesperson
Mr Dragan Barbutovski (+32 (2) 401-8725 or press@stabilitypact.org)
(Tel: +32 2 401 87 25 or press@stabilitypact.org).

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PR2005/015