Astana, Kazakhstan, Oct. 23 /Trend D.Mukhtarov/
The President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Takehiko Nakao is on an official visit to Kazakhstan's capital of Astana to discuss the preparation of the ADB Annual Meeting with the government of Kazakhstan, as well as participate in the 12th Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Ministerial Conference.
Nakao met with Kazakh Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov and visited the Palace of Independence in Astana, which will host the 47th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of Governors.
He also met with the Minister of Economy and Budget Planning of Kazakhstan Erbolat Dosayev and other officials to express gratitude for the support and cooperation in the preparation of the upcoming annual meeting, which will discuss the main issues of the economy, connectivity and development in the Asia-Pacific region on May 2-5, 2014 in Kazakhstan.
"Connectivity is a question that is topical for both the ADB and the government of Kazakhstan. The country has been a key player in the development of regional relations since its independence. Thanks to its rapid economic growth, Kazakhstan will play a key role in the future prosperity of the region," Nakao said.
It is expected that over 3,000 people, including finance ministers and governors of central banks from over the region and non-regional member countries, as well as representatives of international organizations, academia, private sector, media outlets and civil society will participate at the Annual Meeting.
The Annual Meeting of 2014 will be held for the first time in Kazakhstan. In 2015 the annual meeting will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The mission of the ADB, which has a headquarters in Manila - is the reduction of poverty in the Asia-Pacific region through comprehensive economic and environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration.
ADB was founded in 1966 and has 67 members, 48 of which are located in the region.
In 2012, ADB's assistance totalled $21.6 billion, including $8.3 billion through co-financing.