The World Bank willgrant $580 million to rebuild Yugoslavia over the next twoyears, the bank's vice-president Mr Johannes Linn said today.
Of that amount, $150 million will be released this yearand $430 million in 2002.
The United States alsopledged $181million in reconstruction aid for the country.
The aid will support the reform programmes of the new Yugoslav government.
The government this morning presentedtheireconomic recovery plan to a meeting of the World Bank in Brussels, following the handover of Mr Slobodan Milosevic to the International War Crimes tribunal.
The planrequires funding of over $4 billion over three to four years.
It is needed to rebuild the nation after 13 years of Mr Milosevic's economic mismanagement, international sanctions and NATO's 78 bombing-day bombing campaign in 1999.
It hopes to win about one third of that today for spending this year.
Yugoslavia is desperate for funding to get its economy out of chaos.
The country suffers from a 150 per centannual inflation, a foreign debt of $12 billion and a 50 per cent jobless rate. Infrastructure was badly damaged by the 1999 NATObombing campaign and foreign investment has been non-existent.
AP