Monrovia — The World Bank has announced that it will provide USS$10 million to assist Liberia tackle the sharp increases in the price of food.

World Bank President Robert Zoellick said the funds would be used to support agriculture production in the country. He said World Bank Board of Executives is meeting this week to work out the details.

According to an Executive Mansion dispatch from Yokohama, Japan, the Bank's announcement came Thursday, during high level panel discussions on the challenges and opportunities of high food prices.

World Bank President Zoellick was responding to an intervention by Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for speedy action by financial institutions and the international community to tackle the food crisis.

At the same time, the European Union Commission has announced that a decision has been reached by the Commission to provide US$25 million Euros (US$35 million) to support Liberia's County Development Projects.

Making the disclosure Thursday during a meeting with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, European Union Commissioner Louis Michel informed the Liberian leader that the Commission is also working out programs to support the development of the country's infrastructure including roads, electricity as well as the health sector.

The Commission, Mr. Michel explained, is working out plans to open a local office in Monrovia to facilitate its activities. "We need to show the peace dividend now so that the venerable young population does not fall back into problems anymore," Mr. Michel assured the President.

According to Mr. Michel, the EC will also provide support for the General Auditing Commission (GAC) that has already embarked on a comprehensive audit of all government agencies.

Addressing the issue of rising food crisis, the Liberian leader pleaded that timing is of essence, warning that any delays by the international community to respond quickly to the food crisis could have adverse consequences on countries, particular post conflict nations like Liberia.

The discussions are part of deliberations at the 4th Tokyo International Conference on African Development currently convening in Yokohama, Japan.

The conference ends Friday with a pledge by Japan to train one-hundred thousand local medical workers over the next five years in Africa, which it said, is suffering from a shortage of 1.5 million medical practitioners at present.

Tokyo aims to double the production of rice in Africa to 28-million tons over the next 10 years, to help stabilize food supplies. Measures will include building irrigation facilities, improving rice varieties and training agricultural instructors, Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda revealed Wednesday.

Mr. Zoellick agreed that there is a need for rapid action to address the situation. He said the assistance being provided Liberia is intended to help boost agricultural production in the country, by providing farmers all the requisite support they need to grow more food. Haiti, the World Bank President announced, will also receive similar support from the Bank. Mr. Zoellick disclosed that the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Food Program and other international institutions are drawing up a comprehensive program to determine an efficient and effective approach in dealing with the situation.

At Thursday's discussions, panelists agreed that an immediate robust and comprehensive approach is crucial in tackling the food crisis. Executives of the World Food Program (WFP), the Food & Agricultural Organization (FAO), the African Development Bank (ADB), have spoken of medium and long term initiatives to mitigate the impact of high food prices.

Saudi Arabia, has meanwhile, been lauded for a contribution of US$500,000 million to the World Food Program. The Program's Executive Director, Ms. Josette Sheeran, described the contribution as significant. The amount, she said, represents the single largest contribution to the WFP and will fill in a spending gap created as a result of the sharp rise in the price of food.

Japanese Prime Minister, Yasuo Fakuda, who also participated in the high level panel discussions, said the issue will be taken up at the G-8 Hokkaido Toyako summit in July. Mr. Fukuda said the international community needs to unite its efforts to address the threat the sharp food price increases poses.

Meanwhile, President Sirleaf has held discussions with Rwandan President Paul Kagame. During Thursday's meeting, both leaders shared post conflict experiences toward national development in their respective countries.

The leaders expressed the hope for a systematic and coordinated approach in tackling the food crisis. Like Rwanda, Liberia experienced a devas