BERLIN, 16 APRIL 2010.  The Board of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, the international standard for improved transparency in countries’ natural resource sector, met in Berlin 15-16 April. The Board discussed the request of 17 of the 32 countries currently implementing the EITI to extend their deadline for completing EITI Validation.

The EITI is pleased to welcome Centerra Gold as the latest EITI Supporting Company. Centerra Gold is the largest Western-based gold producer in Central Asia. Centerra Gold is based in Toronto, Canada and listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

The 5^th EITI Global Conference in Paris was launched today with around 900 participants arriving the conference today. Participants included Presidents Otunbayeva (Kyrgyz Republic), Kikwete (Tanzania), and Guebuza (Mozambique), as well as CEOs, ministers and civil society leaders from around the world.