BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 15. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) reaffirmed its commitment to supporting private sector development as a key driver of resilience and competitiveness across its countries of operation, EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso said at the Bank’s 2025 Annual Meeting and Business Forum in London, Trend reports.
Renaud-Basso underlined the enduring importance of the EBRD’s core principles. “Market economies, underpinned by democracy, offer the surest path to growth and prosperity,” she said. “That’s why we focus on promoting the private sector, mobilising investment and promoting policy reform.”
Against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions, trade disruptions, and market volatility, the EBRD President noted that the bank’s role is particularly vital in times of uncertainty. “Experience shows that we perform at our best in times of crisis. The world needs institutions, such as ours, which bring countries and competing perspectives together.”
During this year’s meeting, EBRD Governors are expected to approve the bank’s new Strategic and Capital Framework, which will outline its strategic direction for the next five years. Among other key decisions is a proposal to grant country of operation status to Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria, marking the start of the EBRD’s expansion into sub-Saharan Africa.
Renaud-Basso welcomed the bank’s new shareholders from Africa and Iraq, describing the EBRD as being “on the cusp of momentous change.” In addition to its ongoing work in Ukraine, she outlined future priorities including the green transition, economic governance, human capital development, digital transformation, and increased private capital mobilisation.
In 2024, the EBRD delivered a record 16.6 billion euros in investments across its regions, with higher allocations to private sector projects, green initiatives, and human capital than in any previous year.