ADB President to visit Central Asian Republics

ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda will begin an eight-day official mission to Central Asia on Saturday that will include visits to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, ADB's press service reports.

Mr. Kuroda will meet with leaders and senior government officials in each country to discuss ADB's assistance programs and the important role of regional cooperation in the future development of Central Asia and the reduction of poverty in the region.

Mr. Kuroda will also visit a number of ADB projects. It will be his first mission to the region since taking office in February 2005.

"The rationale for cooperation among the countries of Central Asia is clear. Small populations, vast distances to markets, and land-locked geographies make cooperation a necessity for strengthening economies and improving standards of living," Mr. Kuroda said in Manila.

"With proximity to rapidly growing markets like the People's Republic of China, India, and Russia - all of which have huge needs for energy - and with greater transit access to the sea through Afghanistan, the region is well poised to reap the benefits of its strategic location. I look forward to discussing how the region can best capitalize on these opportunities."

Shirinskikh Nataliya

Foreign Media Analyst, Kazakhstan Today