The President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Masatsugu Asakava visited Georgia and met the finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili and Regional Development and Infrastructure Minister Irakli Karseladze.
The meeting was attended by the Executive Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), member of the Board of Directors Rachel Thompson, CEO of the Asian Development Bank Central and West Asia Department Eugene Zhukov, Director of the Asian Development Bank permanent representation in Georgia Leslie Berman Lam, Deputy Finance Minister Ekaterine Guntsadze, Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure Deputy Minister Mzia Giorgobiani, Department of Road Chairman Giorgi Tsereteli, Director of Municipal Development Fund David Tabidze.
The sides discussed cooperation issues between Georgia and the Asian Development Bank and the progress of bank-financed projects in Georgia.
The economic team members thanked the Asian Development Bank President for the support the country is receiving from ADB to develop various sectors of the country’s economy, including road, regional and municipal, urban, energy and education projects. Underlined the role of ADB in private sector development.
The Ministers briefed the high-ranking guests amid challenges in the region, the current state of Georgia’s economy and the agenda of reforms, significant parts of which are aimed at increasing the country’s transit, logistics and tourist potential, which is essential in the modern world, with growing demand for mid-range routes.
In this direction, special attention was paid to the construction of East-West and North-South corridor investments made by the Asian Development Bank.
In his turn, the president of the Asian Development Bank, once again, noted Georgia’s role in the development of the middle corridor, as well as steps taken by the country to address the problem of climate change.
At the end of the meeting, the parties expressed their readiness to deepen cooperation, which will be further facilitated by the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank, which will be hosted by Tbilisi in May next year.
