DUSHANBE, 20.04.2018 /NIAT “Khovar”/. Over 3,000 participants including finance ministers, central bank governors, private sector representatives, development partners, academics, members of civil society, and the media are expected to gather on 3-6 May at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) headquarters in Manila, Philippines for the 51st Annual Meeting of ADB’s Board of Governors.

According to the ADB Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM), the Tajikistan government delegation is expected to be headed by Davlatali Said, First Deputy Prime Minister, who is ADB Governor for Tajikistan, and Nematullo Khikmatullozoda, Minister of Economic Development and Trade/ Alternate ADB Governor for Tajikistan.

After celebrating its 50th anniversary last year, ADB will be pivoting to the future and discuss its new strategy to meet new and emerging challenges for the region and how new technologies and globalization will affect job creation in developing Asia. The latest draft of ADB’s long-term strategy, Strategy 2030, will be discussed at the Governors’ Plenary as ADB aims to finalize the document this year.

The theme of the 2018 Annual Meeting is Linking People and Economies for Inclusive Development. The meeting will look at global and regional issues affecting development in Asia and the Pacific, while exploring how ADB and its development partners can work together toward a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable region by 2030.

Various other events will be held during the Annual Meeting in Manila, including seminars focused on addressing gender gaps through women’s entrepreneurship and economic empowerment; the private sector’s increasing role in meeting Asia’s huge infrastructure needs, estimated at $1.7 trillion annually until 2030; new technologies in finance; investing in community-led solutions for climate and disaster resilience; and promoting inclusive growth through inter-subregional cooperation.

The Philippines, as the host country, will also organize an array of events gathering representatives from the public and private sectors and civil society to discuss the country’s economic direction and development prospects. This year’s Annual Meeting is the first-ever carbon neutral AM held in Manila.

ADB is celebrating 20 years of development partnership with Tajikistan in 2018. To date, ADB has approved around $1.6 billion in concessional loans, grants, and technical assistance to the country. ADB and Tajikistan’s development partnership, which began in 1998, has restored and built the country’s new transport and energy infrastructure, supported social development, expanded agricultural production, and improved regional cooperation and trade.

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.