On May 2nd, the 48th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) kicked off in Baku.

About 3,000 participants, including senior officials, business leaders, investors, financiers, journalists, and civil society representatives from around the world gathered in Azerbaijan’s capital for the event.

Speaking at the event, Azerbaijani Minister of Economy and Industry Shahin Mustafayev highlighted the socio-economic achievements of Azerbaijan.

ADB President Takehiko Nakao hailed Azerbaijan`s development, saying the Gross Domestic Product increased 4 times and poverty was dramatically reduced in the country. He said Azerbaijan is among the countries with the highest income.

The overall theme for this year’s meeting is “Fostering Partnership for Development.” Through the business sessions on 4 and 5 May, governors and ADB management will discuss ongoing and emerging challenges facing the region, and also highlight how our ongoing reforms will make ADB a stronger development partner.

As usual, the meeting will stage several seminars, but the key one, of course, will be the Governors’ Seminar on 3 May. It will focus on the growth potential for the Asia and Pacific region and feature a world-class panel.

AZERTAC