A highway policy seminar was held for former Soviet Union (FSU) countries in Moscow during the week 15-19 May 1995. The background to this was that, during discussions between the national and international financing institutions and several general directors of roads in the former Soviet Union countries, interest was expressed in the organization of such a seminar. This seminar was considered timely because (i) several countries are preparing projects for international financing, whereas some other countries can already draw lessons from completed loans, and (ii) important highway policy issues are arising, many of which are common for the whole region. The seminar had the following objectives: i) To provide a forum dialogue and for the exchange of experience between participating countries, and their western counterparts and representatives of the international financing institutions; ii) To develop a clearer understanding by the international financing institutions of existing country policies in the highways sub-sector and through and interchange of ideas and experience, to identify araes of policy that need to be addressed by each participating country; iii) To lay the groundwork for policy reforms in participating countries; and iv) To introduce participants to the approach of preparing international financial institutions' loans to help support activities and investments in the highway sub-sector.
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