Azerbaijan's Minister of Finance and member of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors, Samir Sharifov, held several meetings during the 57th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of Governors in Tbilisi.

In his meeting with Masatsugu Asakawa, President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), both sides discussed the current status and future prospects of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the ADB. They highlighted Azerbaijan's involvement in transport and railway projects, and noted the upcoming 25th anniversary of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the ADB, which will be commemorated this year. It was also mentioned that the President of the ADB plans to visit Azerbaijan to mark this milestone.

Masatsugu Asakawa extended his congratulations to President Ilham Aliyev on his re-election as President of Azerbaijan in the February election. He also expressed appreciation for Azerbaijan's contribution to the ADB's Asian Development Fund, which supports impoverished countries with grants.

Samir Sharifov extended an invitation to Masatsugu Asakawa to attend the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), to be held in Baku in November. This event is the premier platform for global climate change discussions, and the invitation was gladly accepted.

Later, Samir Sharifov met with Georgia's Minister of Finance, Lasha Khutsishvili. During this meeting, the two discussed various issues of mutual interest and the importance of cooperation and knowledge-sharing between the financial institutions of their respective countries. Samir Sharifov also commended his Georgian counterpart for the successful organization of the 57th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of Governors.

Khatayi Azizov

Special correspondent