ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 26. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed Utsav Kumar as its new Country Director for Kazakhstan, Trend reports.
According to the ADB, he assumed office today.
Kumar will lead ADB operations in the country and foster the bank’s relationships with the government and other stakeholders. He will oversee the implementation of ADB’s country partnership strategy, 2023–2027 for Kazakhstan, which aims to help the country achieve sustained and inclusive growth through public and private sector investments, innovative knowledge solutions, and institutional development.
“For 30 years, ADB has been Kazakhstan’s reliable development partner,” said Mr. Kumar. "I look forward to building on our strong partnership and working closely with the government, private sector, and other stakeholders to support the country’s development priorities. We will continue to assist Kazakhstan in addressing the impacts of climate change and decarbonizing its economy, promoting inclusive economic growth, and strengthening governance."
Kumar has 18 years of international experience, including over 11 years at ADB. Prior to his appointment to Kazakhstan, he was ADB Deputy Country Director for Sri Lanka where he led country programming, knowledge, and economics work, as well as helped to manage various aspects of client engagement and development partner coordination.
Kumar, a national of India, holds doctorate and master’s degrees in economics from the University of Maryland at College Park in the United States, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in economics from the University of Delhi, India. He succeeds outgoing Country Director Nariman Mannapbekov, who held this position from 2020 and was recently appointed Advisor to ADB’s Central and West Asia Department.
Kazakhstan joined ADB in 1994. ADB has since committed about $7 billion in loans to the government and private sector, grants, and technical assistance. Regional cooperation and integration initiatives under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program remain an integral part of ADB operations in Kazakhstan, which is chairing the program this year.
ADB is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.