DUSHANBE, April 24, 2014, Asia-Plus — About 3,000 participants including finance ministers, central bank governors, business leaders, investors, journalists, and civil society representatives from across the world are set to gather in Astana, Kazakhstan from May 2-5 for the Asian Development Bank (ADB)’s 47th Annual Meeting of its Board of Governors, according to the ADB Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM).
The theme of the 2014 Annual Meeting is “The Silk Road – Connecting Asia with the Changing World.” Discussions on the link between improved regional connectivity and higher growth in Central Asia and beyond will feature prominently at the gathering.
Tajikistan delegation is expected to be headed by Davlatali Said, First Deputy Prime Minister, who is ADB Governor for Tajikistan, and also comprise Sharif Rahimzoda, Minister of Economic Development and Trade/ Alternate ADB Governor for Tajikistan, and chairmen of three Tajik commercial banks.
The midterm review of ADB’s Strategy 2020 will be a key topic of discussion. The Governor’s Seminar will focus on the lessons learned from recent financial crises and reducing economic and financial vulnerability in the region. Leveraging fiscal policy to promote more inclusive growth, based on the theme chapter of the recent Asian Development Outlook 2014, will also be highlighted.
Ideas for a post-2015 development agenda that extends beyond the Millennium Development Goals will also be discussed in Astana. Highlights of a new ADB study on Asia’s knowledge economies will be presented, with a particular focus on the region’s investments in innovation, internet connectivity, education, and vocational training.
A session on public-private partnerships (PPPs) will explore preferred models of PPPs, how to attract private and institutional investors, identify constraints that prevent successful PPPs, and discuss how organizations such as ADB can help bridge the “bankability gap.”
Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998 and, to date, the institution has approved total assistance of over $1.2 billion in concessional loans, grants, and technical assistance to the country. The 15 years of ADB-Tajikistan partnership has promoted social development, restored and built new infrastructure, expanded agricultural production, and encouraged regional cooperation and trade within the framework of the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation Program.
ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2013, ADB assistance totaled $21.0 billion, including cofinancing of $6.6 billion.
