Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masatsugu Asakawa in a call today with Agence Française de Développement Group (AFD) Chief Executive Officer Rémy Rioux reaffirmed the importance of collaboration between the two institutions, particularly on key issues such as climate change and aspirations for COP26.
“ADB’s partnership with France, through AFD, is strong and continues to build on our long history of collaboration on important development issues and projects across many countries and sectors in Asia,” Mr. Asakawa said. “This solid foundation and our dynamic collaboration allow us to support an inclusive and resilient green recovery across the region as it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The two leaders met ahead of the agencies’ annual high-level consultation on 14 and 15 April.
ADB and AFD signed their first partnership framework agreement in October 2016. They have since jointly funded 22 projects in 10 countries, in sectors such as energy, transport, public sector management, finance, agriculture, water, urban infrastructure, and health. AFD has provided $1.9 billion in cofinancing alongside $4.7 billion from ADB to fund these development programs across the region.
Mr. Asakawa updated Mr. Rioux on ADB’s response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, which includes a $20 billion support package for Asia and the Pacific announced in April last year. ADB has committed $17.1 billion through grants, technical assistance, and loans to governments and the private sector and has mobilized an additional $12.2 billion in cofinancing. Mr. Asakawa acknowledged with appreciation AFD cofinancing for ADB’s $500 million COVID-19 response program in Pakistan. Mr. Asakawa stressed the importance of vaccine access to enable the post-COVID-19 recovery and updated Mr. Rioux on the roll-out of ADB’s $9 billion Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility (APVAX).
The two leaders discussed cooperation on mitigating the severe impact of climate change in Asia and the Pacific which threatens to further undermine development gains over the last several decades. As part of that endeavor, ADB and ADF have a shared objective to contribute to the success of the COP26 summit to be hosted by the UK government later in the year. In 2020, while responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, ADB committed $4.3 billion in climate finance and mobilized $729 million from external resources.
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
