WASHINGTON, April 12 (Reuters) - World Bank President Robert Zoellick said on Tuesday he would meet with Ivory Coast officials this week to discuss how the development lender can help the country move beyond its political crisis.
Zoellick told a conference call with reporters ahead of semi-annual IMF and World Bank meetings in Washington this week that any help for Ivory Coast needed to involve West African regional blocs like ECOWAS. He said he hoped the World Bank could move forward on writing off the country's debt.
The political standoff between election rivals in Ivory Coast ended on Monday after French forces helped to arrest Laurent Gbagbo, who refused to hand over power to internationally recognized president Alassane Ouattara. For more see [ID:nLDE73A2CP]. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by James Dalgleish)
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