Cairo - World Bank President Robert Zoellick arrived in Cairo on Wednesday for talks on Egypt's economic reform policies almost two months after the bank praised the country's pro-investment climate. The pace of economic reforms and World Bank's funding of infrastructure and service projects will be the focus of Zoellick's talks with Egypt's president and other top officials, the investment minister, Mahmud Mohi al-Din, told reporters after Zoellick arrived.
Egypt and the bank are in consultation over policies to reduce poverty and support for low-income Egyptians on the basis of strategies used by other developing countries, such as Mexico and Brazil, the minister said.
Zoellick's visit to Egypt is the fist since he took the reins of the institution in July.
The World Bank has praised Egypt in its Doing Business 2008 report, which is jointly issued with the International Finance Corporation.
This annual report ranks 178 countries on the basis of how friendly their policies are towards investors. Egypt topped the list.
