2014
Europe and Central Asia
Min Joo Kang, IEGCC: The popular Oaxacan art —Handwoven rugs and Alebrijes—constitutes one of the region’s main tourist attractions. These beautiful handicrafts are mainly produced by local cooperatives and small and micro size enterprises. december 2013
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FYR MACEDONIA
Young children do their homework by candlelight in FYR Macedonia’s capital, Skopje. The World Bank is working with the government on a number of energy initiatives—including energy efficiency and renewable energy—to help ensure reliable and affordable electricity for all. Photographer: Tomislav Georgiev december 2013
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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
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SERBIA
Construction workers watch both sides of the Progon tunnel being connected near Dimitrovgrad, Serbia as part of the Corridor X Highway Project. january
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Photographer: Miroslav Nesic
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Presidents’ Day
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KOSOVO
In the last 50 years, Kosovo’s oldest power plant has emitted vast quantities of ash into the surrounding areas, polluting the air and creating open ash dumps. With World Bank support, the Kosovo Energy Cooperation has stopped this practice, while leveling and reshaping 156 hectares of hazardous hills, and sealing and re-cultivating them. Photographer: Lundrim Aliu february
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MONTENEGRO Grapes and wine are key exports in Montenegro and a major source of earnings and jobs. The World Bank recommends reducing regulatory and trade barriers to agricultural exports and helping standardize products and ensuring greater export certification, especially in the grape and wine industry. Photographer: Radoje Zivkovic march
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13 Spring Meetings
ROMANIA Nicoleta Alecu does laundry at her home in a Roma community in the village of Frumusani.
Photographer: Dominic Chavez
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Memorial Day
ROMANIA In Luncavita village in Tulcea County, Florica Arion tries to earn additional income manufacturing reed objects. She is one of the local craftpersons whose business is promoted through the Internet as part of the Knowledge Economy Project in Romania. Photographer: Daniel Kozak may
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CROATIA
A fisherman works with his net following a day on the water in Pula, on Croatia’s Adriatic Coast.
Photographer: John Mackedon
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GEORGIA
A guest-house in Dartlo, a high-mountainous village in Tusheti region, Georgia. Houses were rehabilitated under the first Regional Development Project that enabled local residents to transform them into B&Bs, popular among Georgian and foreign visitors. Photographer: Kakha Bukhrashvili july
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THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC Under the Education-For-All Project, access to the quality school preparation program was extended to 1,745 schools throughout the Kyrgyz Republic. It opened 2,440 pre-primary classes, enrolling a cohort of 55,000 students. Photographer: Natalya Iosipenko august
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TAJIKISTAN A Tajik boy runs down the mountain as his donkeys descend with their load to the village below.
Photographer: Julius Gwyer
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BELARUS
The World Bank has assisted Belarus in strengthening its national capacity to manage hazardous wastes and reduce environmental and health risks. Almost 3,000 tons of POPs stockpiles and wastes were recovered and packaged in Belarus, and about 1,500 tons have already been destroyed. Photograper: Irina Oleinik december
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ARMENIA
The fertile Ararat valley at the foot of the magnificent Mount Ararat plays an important role in Armenia’s agricultural production and accounts for many of the country’s agricultural exports. november
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Photographer: Ulrich Bartsch
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Day Preceding Christmas Day
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KAZAKHSTAN The World Bank helps overhaul the health system in Kazakhstan by supporting the raising of the quality of health services in line with international standards. february 2015
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Photographer: Shynar Jeptissova
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Front cover photo: TAJIKISTAN
Two young girls minding the family goats by a coal mining village in rural Tajikistan. Placing a hand on the heart is a sign of greeting. Photographer: Julius Gwyer
RESULTS IN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA We hope you enjoy this 2014 Europe and Central Asia (ECA) Calendar, which aims to illustrate the World Bank Group’s twin goals of reducing poverty and boosting shared prosperity in the region. ECA was the region hit the hardest during the 2008-2009 financial crisis, and that experienced the weakest growth of all regions in 2013. While growth is now resuming, it is slow and uneven. Unemployment remains persistently high, at 14 percent on average. There have been tremendous advancements in poverty reduction during the past decade, but almost 25 million people still live on less than $2.50 per day, and nearly 100 million live on less than $5 per day. To address these and other challenges, the World Bank Group will aim to develop a spectrum of high quality services and products to respond to the demands of our clients in the region to sustainably reduce poverty and raise earnings of the lowest income groups. Our particular focus for attention in the region remains on three broad areas: enhancing competitiveness, improving economic and social inclusion, and supporting climate action. In fiscal year 2013, new World Bank Group commitments to ECA totaled $10.2 billion. Of this, IBRD/IDA approved 42 project and policy loans totaling $5.3 billion, IFC provided $4.4 billion, and MIGA $540 million. We are proud that the World Bank Group’s assistance is helping our client countries achieve impressive results in areas such as increasing access to quality public services in health and education, improving the business climate and expanding smalland medium-enterprises; increasing energy efficiency, the use of clean renewable energy sources, and climate-smart agricultural production; and expanding road networks; among others. The pictures in this 2014 ECA Calendar show some of the results achieved by ECA countries with support from the World Bank Group. As we celebrate these results, we also look forward to continuing our partnership with ECA countries to help them further improve people’s lives in the region. Laura Tuck World Bank Vice-President for Europe and Central Asia