Prime Minister of Georgia together with Masato Kanda, President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Lesley Bearman Lahm, ADB Country Director and Lasha Khutsishvili, Minister of Finance of Georgia and ADB Governor for Georgia inaugurated the new resident office of the ADB in Tbilisi.

Irakli Kobakhidze emphasized the long-standing and productive partnership between Georgia and the ADB, thanking the international financial institution (IFI) for its continued support of the country and its government.

“Georgia enjoys a special partnership with the ADB, which has delivered very tangible results. For many years, the ADB has been one of Georgia"s most trusted and prominent development partners, and its activities in the country fully align with our national priorities. We appreciate the Bank’s contribution to the advancement of various sectors. The Bank’s active investment portfolio in Georgia exceeds 5 billion USD, financing major projects across the country. I would like to thank the entire ADB team and Ms. Lesley Bearman Lahm, Country Director for Georgia whose personal support for the country has been exceptional”, - said Irakli Kobakhidze.

Masato Kanda, ADB President highlighted the growing cooperation between Georgia and the Bank.

"Our partnership is strong. At its recent meeting, the ADB’s committee committed over 1 billion USD to support the development of Georgia’s private and public sectors, which will contribute to economic growth through increased investment. Together, we have achieved progress by supporting large-scale projects, strengthening municipal services, advancing sectoral and institutional reforms and investing in people. Even before deciding to support Georgia’s economic growth, our goal was to improve the quality of life of the country’s population. Our partnership is built on a solid foundation of shared values and joint efforts to ensure a brighter future”, - added Masato Kanda.

Lasha Khutsishvili, Minister of Finance of Georgia and ADB Governor for Georgia congratulated the ADB on the opening of its new resident office and noted that numerous transformative projects have been implemented in Georgia with the Bank’s support: “The presence of the ADB in Georgia continues to grow in line with the country’s economic growth and so does its investment portfolio. Next year we will celebrate 20 years of cooperation and during this time the ADB has become a leading IFI for Georgia. Transformational projects have been implemented with ADB support. Their total value exceeds 5 billion USD, covering investments in both the private and public sectors. Thank you for this cooperation. Our partnership is guided by the 2024-2028 Partnership Strategy, which outlines the Government of Georgia"s medium- and long-term initiatives. We have a very intensive and ambitious agenda for cooperation and we are pleased that the ADB will continue to stand by our side. The projects we implement together are truly changing the lives of our population”.