APRACA's Executive Committee Meeting Opens in BeijingThe 42nd Executive Committee Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (APRACA) opened Monday in Beijing. The meeting will last for four days.The main task of the meeting is to overview the role of the committee during 1999 to 2000, which included the progression of the micro-credit lending and poverty alleviation projects and APRACA's cooperation program with Japan, and to discuss the agenda to be carried out during 2000 to 2001. A seminar will be held during the meeting, focusing on the impact of financial reforms on the development of the rural economy and agriculture. He Linxiang, President of the Agricultural Development Bank of China, will give a speech on China's financial reforms in the rural economy. The APRACA, founded in 1977 in the Indian capital of New Delhi with the support of UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), aims to enhance cooperation between agricultural banks in different countries and to promote local agricultural development through financial means. Currently, its headquarters is located in Bangkok, capital of Thailand, and its members have reached 59. Prior to the opening ceremony of the meeting, Chinese Vice-Premier Wen Jiabao met with the members of the APRACA at the Great Hall of the People. |
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