Asian Development Bank Section: ADB Annual Meeting
Last year’s historic Asian Development Bank (ADB) annual meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan saw the bank and member countries commit to a wide range of goals and reforms.
This year’s meeting, the 49th since the ADB was founded, will be held in Frankfurt, Germany, May 2—5. The focus will be on consolidating past initiatives, moving ahead and stressing the ADB’s strong commitment to energy sustainability and, of course, economic growth.
It will also try to make the most of the fact that it’s being held in the heart of Europe. High-profile investors, politicians, traders and corporate executives from the continent are set to participate alongside senior representatives from the ADB’s 67 member countries.
They’ll focus on how to enhance the ADB’s relations with the European Union at a critical time for both Europe and Asia. Seminars will examine macro-links between the two regions; pinpoint risks and opportunities, including partnering with cities and promoting urban development; finance green energy initiatives in both regions; and cope with climate change. Underlying it all is the drive to boost European investment in Asia, and vice versa.
“We are very much looking forward to ADB’s annual meeting in Frankfurt, the first to be held in Germany,” said ADB president Takehiko Nakao during a preparatory visit to Frankfurt late last year. He said the meeting would address “Asia’s economic outlook, its developmental challenges and opportunities, cooperation between Europe and Asia, and how ADB can better meet the changing needs of the region.”
