PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

May 2005 to the present- Responsible for Russia and Belarus at DG-ECFIN, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium (also responsible for Ukraine until July 2009).

·        Developed, manage and organize the regular framework for “Macroeconomic and Financial Policy Dialogue” between the Russian Government and the EC: presenter at its 2007 and 2008 Meetings. Also member of the EU-Russia “FDI Dialogue” and of the “Russia Negotiation Network” (RNN), responsible for the negotiation of the new EU-Russia Agreement at European Commission. Responsible for the preparation of material on G-8/G-20 matters.

·        Participate in the negotiations of the EU-Ukraine “Free Trade Area” and “Association” Agreements.

·        Maintain regular contacts between the Belarusian, Russian and Ukrainian Governments and the EC. Provide economic policy advice to the EC and the Russian Government.

·        Monitor and analysis of macroeconomic, financial and structural developments, forecast of economic trends in Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Responsible for creating the Russia forecast model in ECFIN.

·        Preparation of the Macro Financial Assistance (MFA) loan to Belarus, and of the shadow “Action Plan” for that country (jointly with DG RELEX). Participate on the preparation of the World Bank’s 2010 “Country Economic Memorandum” (CEM) for Belarus.

·        Prepare special reports and regular publications, including country strategy papers and economic briefings. Regular contributor to the European Economy and the Economic Review of ENP Countries, two of ECFIN’s flagship publications.

·        Conduct economic research, and manage and advise research personnel and projects. Main research areas: Macroeconomics, Financial, Monetary and International Economics.

·        Maintain contacts between ECFIN and other international organizations dealing with Belarus, Russia and Ukraine (OECD, EBRD, IMF, World Bank, WTO). Regularly evaluates EBRD projects.

·        Regular region-wide work on the Western CIS countries and on specific countries (Moldova, Ukraine).

2004 “Visiting Researcher”, Deutsche Bundesbank, Frankfurt a.M, Germany (while at the IfW).

2003 “Visiting Fellow”, DG ECFIN, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium (while at the IfW).

August 2002-May 2005 Senior Economist, Kiel Institute for World Economics (IfW), Germany (from January 2005 onwards, Coordinator of the Research Area “Monetary Integration in Emerging and Developing Countries”).

·        Conducted and managed international research and research personnel (main areas: Macroeconomics, International Economics and Monetary Economics). Regional work concentration: Central and Eastern Europe (especially the Former Soviet Union) and Latin America.

·        Managed several international projects (financed by EU, World Bank, ECB, Bundesbank, USAID).

·        Wrote and published works in peer-reviewed journals.

·        Organized international conferences.

January 2002-June 2002 “Visiting Fellow” at the ECARES[1] (European Centre for Advanced Research in Economics and Statistics), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium.

September 2001-November 2001 “Visiting Researcher”, Research Department, Bank of Estonia, Tallinn, Estonia.

March 2001-August 2001 Researcher of the project for the Belarus team of the EERC/ GDN-World Bank Research Project “Explaining Growth in the CIS Countries”.[2]

September 2000-March 2001 Manager, author and research partner of the EU PHARE project “Monetary and Exchange Rate Strategies related to the Current European Union’s Enlargement Process”. [3]

June 1999-November 1999 Consultant for the European Parliament project “Economic and Monetary Union and Enlargement”.

April 1995-October 1997 Associate Economic Affairs Officer at the United Nations (UN) Secretariat, ECLAC (Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean), working in the fields of international economics (economic integration, international trade, foreign direct investment) and macroeconomic modelling and analysis.

·        Maintained regular contacts between Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Governments and the ECLAC. Provided economic policy advice to LAC Governments and the ECLAC. Monitored and analysed economic and structural developments, forecasted economic trends in LAC.

·        Co-wrote UN-financed national reconstruction plans.

·        Conducted and managed research projects and research personnel (main areas: Macroeconomics and International Economics).

·        Wrote and published works in peer-reviewed journals.

·        Organized international conferences.