KEY POINTS:
World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz acknowledged today he has had some disagreements with shareholder countries over bank policies he sought to change.
Wolfowitz, a former US official who helped plan the war in Iraq, has introduced new anti-corruption tactics, which have angered some key European shareholders such as France and Britain, which are also unhappy with his management style.
"There are disagreements, but I think they are small ones," he told reporters at a briefing.
"The more important thing is I think that there is a very strong and broad agreement on the priorities in this institution, particularly on the poorest countries," he added
There has been lengthy haggling between World Bank shareholders and Wolfowitz over how best to position the bank to tackle corruption. The graft issue has been a lightning rod for broader dissatisfaction with Wolfowitz and his management style.
The acknowledgment of discord between him and the shareholders that finance the bank, comes as Wolfowitz is trying to rustle up new funds to replenish the coffers of the International Development Association, the bank's main financing arm for the poorest countries.
The first round of talks about raising the money took place in Paris on March 5.
Wolfowitz praised French aid efforts in Africa and said the country had an important role to play in development.
"I think the French in general are among the leaders in development assistance and certainly the leaders with respect to the importance of Africa," he said before he left for a meeting with France's development agency.
"I believe the major donors ... made important commitments at Gleneagles (Group of 8 summit) a couple of years ago and I believe they are going to continue to honour those commitments and I think a strong IDA is an essential piece of that."
He said the IDA discussions had focused partly on the challenges faced by borrowing countries in meeting all the different specifications put on aid from different donors.
"The actual effort that takes place ... the total we're going to shoot for is going to be the subject of lots of discussions particularly over the next two months or three," he said.
- REUTERS
