Улаанбаатар
ADB annual meeting taking place in the Pacific for the first time
Society
Nadi /MONTSAME/ The 52 Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank kicked off on May 1 in Nadi, Fiji, for the first time in the Pacific region. The official opening ceremony of the meeting is to be held on May 3. A series of seminars, meetings, forums including on sustainable tourism development, ADB strategy 2030’s operational priorities, debt sustainability and development effectiveness as well as press briefings by ADB Director Generals are now taking place.
Regarding ADB’s operations in Mongolia, Director General of the East Asia Department Amy S.Leung noted that ADB will address infrastructure gaps, promote renewable energy, foster regional economic integration, expand access to basic urban services, and provide support to agribusiness. Gender equality will remain a focus across ADB operations.
The meeting provides opportunities for member governments to
interact with ADB staff, nongovernment organizations (NGOs), media, and representatives
of observer countries, international organizations, academe and the private
sector and this year meeting has gathered over 3000 delegates. From Mongolia,
Finance Minister Ch.Khurelbaatar, Deputy Governor of Bank of Mongolia
B.Lkhagvasuren and other officials and representatives are taking part in the
meeting, a premier forum for the discussion of economic and social development
issues in Asia and the Pacific.
In a press conference on May 2, ADB President Takehiko
Nakao highlighted that Asia is becoming more developed and ADB is paying more
attention on climate change adaptation, ocean health, debt sustainability and
gender issues.
ADB has approved sovereign loans totaling USD2.3 billion,
non-sovereign loans totaling USD105.1 million, grants of USD313.9 million, and
technical assistance projects worth USD161.1 million for Mongolia. In 2018, ADB
committed USD430 million for 8 projects, and 11.18 million on technical
assistance for 20 projects.
Among the issues being discussed at the Annual Meeting are
sustainable tourism and its potential to boost national and regional
development efforts, the role of private sector financing for disaster risk
management and climate resilience, and the importance of actions to improve
ocean health.
There are also discussions on ways to respond to heightening
global economic uncertainty, the role of digital technologies for financial
inclusion, and new tools for sustainable infrastructure development, among
others.
B.Ooluun
