ASIATODAY.ID, WASHINGTON — Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda concluded a week of high-level engagements in Washington at a time of global economic uncertainty with a call for collective resilience through regional cooperation.
“The Middle East conflict is a hit to the global economic engine, and Asia and the Pacific is the region most severely affected,” said Kanda on April 20, 2026.
“The priority is clear: keep economies running, strengthen domestic economies, and support regional cooperation to build collective resilience. ADB stands ready to support.”
Chairing the Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) Heads meeting, Kanda led discussions on strengthening collaboration for resilience. The Heads advanced priorities to foster private sector development, collaborate on critical minerals and water security, and improve effectiveness through mutual reliance and a common Value for Money procurement framework.
Addressing the World Bank-IMF Joint Ministerial Development Committee, he focused on navigating global uncertainty and deploying financial support to manage economic fallout.
At the Council on Foreign Relations, he highlighted how geopolitical shocks, particularly the Middle East conflict, impact Asia and the Pacific through rising fuel, freight, and finance costs. He stressed that ADB is acting with speed and scale to stabilize economies via fast-disbursing budget support and expanded trade finance.
At a G7 ministerial event on critical minerals, he emphasized the vulnerability of concentrated supply chains and outlined ADB’s efforts to advance environmental standards and mobilize private capital for minerals-to-manufacturing value chains.
Concurrently, joining Japan’s virtual Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC) Plus Online Summit, he reaffirmed ADB’s decisive action to safeguard Asia and the Pacific’s energy security, anchored by a 10-billion-dollar commitment to the ASEAN Power Grid, and welcomed Japan’s “POWERR Asia” partnership to further strengthen regional supply resilience in energy and resources.
Advancing shared development goals, Kanda met Swiss President Guy Parmelin to thank Switzerland for its continued Asian Development Fund support.
He held talks with Kyrgyz Republic Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliev, Pakistan Finance Minister, Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb, Türkiye Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, and Uzbekistan Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Kuchkarov to scale up financing pipelines and regional partnerships.
Strengthening European collaboration, he met European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela, as well as French Minister Delegate for Francophonie, International Partnerships and French Nationals Abroad Éléonore Caroit, Treasury Director General Bertrand Dumont, and Agence Française de Développement CEO Rémy Rioux, celebrating record cofinancing and reaffirming ADB’s commitment to co-host the 2027 Finance in Common Summit.
Engaging the private sector, Kanda met with Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson to discuss the role of institutional investors in mobilizing private capital at scale across the region.
ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting inclusive, resilient, and sustainable growth across Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and partners to solve complex challenges together, ADB harnesses innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure, and safeguard our planet. Founded in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members—50 from the region. (AT Network)
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