ADB President Advances Global Partnerships at 2025 World Bank-IMF Meetings

At a pivotal moment for global development cooperation, Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda reaffirmed the institution's commitment to deepening strategic partnerships and enhancing multilateral collaboration during a series of high-level engagements at the 2025 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund, held in Marrakesh, Morocco.

President Kanda's meetings with fellow Multilateral Development Bank (MDB) leaders, global finance ministers, and international organizations underscored ADB's proactive role in fostering sustainable, inclusive development across Asia and the Pacific — particularly in the face of intensifying climate, economic, and geopolitical challenges.

"We value the trust built with ADB's developing members and partners," Kanda emphasized. "Our cooperation enables transformative investments that lay the groundwork for sustainable and inclusive growth."

MDB Heads Meeting: ADB to Chair the Group in 2026

In a significant development, Mr. Kanda joined his counterparts at the Meeting of the Heads of Multilateral Development Banks, where leaders reviewed their collective progress on joint financing, crisis response, and climate resilience. As part of this dialogue, President Kanda confirmed ADB's assumption of the MDB Heads Group chairmanship in 2026 — a role that signals growing recognition of ADB's leadership within the global development architecture.

Under Kanda's future leadership, the group aims to intensify collaboration on debt sustainability, blended finance, and cross-border project implementation, ensuring greater coherence and impact in a rapidly evolving global environment.

Bilateral Engagements with Developing Members: Nepal and Fiji

In separate bilateral meetings, President Kanda met with Fiji Deputy Prime Minister Biman Prasad and Nepal's Minister of Finance Rameshore Khanal to strengthen ADB's partnerships with Pacific and South Asian countries.

During the meeting with Minister Khanal, Kanda expressed condolences for lives lost during recent unrest in Nepal, reaffirming ADB's solidarity and support during difficult times. He commended the Nepalese government's ongoing commitment to economic and governance reforms, and reiterated ADB's readiness to align its country partnership strategies with national development priorities.

In his dialogue with Deputy PM Prasad of Fiji, Kanda focused on enhancing resilience in Pacific island nations through climate-adaptive infrastructure, digital connectivity, and disaster preparedness programs.

Dialogue with the World Bank: Scaling Joint Impact

President Kanda also held a strategic meeting with World Bank Group President Ajay Banga, reaffirming the two institutions' close cooperation. The leaders discussed joint initiatives in private sector mobilization, climate finance, and regional integration, with a shared emphasis on co-financing and knowledge exchange in fragile and low-capacity environments.

Both presidents committed to expanding operational coordination, including joint country diagnostics, alignment of climate policies, and cooperation on data transparency and debt reporting.

Meetings with Global Partners: Enhancing Capital Mobilization

Kanda's engagements extended to high-level discussions with key development partners from across the OECD and G7. In meetings with:

• Australia Treasurer Jim Chalmers

• New Zealand Minister of Finance Nicola Willis

• UK Minister of State for International Development and Africa, Baroness Jenny Chapman

• France Treasury Director General Bertrand Dumont

• US Acting Undersecretary for International Affairs Francis Brooke

Kanda explored expanding collaboration on private sector development, capital mobilization, and climate-resilient infrastructure. All sides emphasized the need to improve blended finance frameworks that attract private investment into high-risk but high-impact sectors such as clean energy, urban development, and digital inclusion.

Development partners expressed strong support for ADB's evolving operational model, which seeks to scale concessional financing, expand risk-sharing mechanisms, and bolster local financial ecosystems in low-income and climate-vulnerable nations.

Nuclear Energy and Clean Technology: ADB-IAEA Engagement

Reflecting growing interest in low-carbon energy diversification, President Kanda also met with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi to discuss the potential of nuclear power in Asia's developing economies.

The dialogue focused on ensuring that countries considering nuclear energy are equipped with the skills, legal frameworks, and safety standards necessary for safe deployment, in line with the IAEA's Milestones Approach — a three-phase framework guiding countries through nuclear infrastructure development.

Kanda emphasized that any support for nuclear energy would be country-driven and aligned with international safety norms, and explored opportunities for ADB to assist in capacity building, feasibility assessments, and regulatory preparedness.

ADB's Expanding Role in a Multipolar Development World

President Kanda's presence at the 2025 Annual Meetings and his series of high-level engagements reflect ADB's expanding role in shaping a more inclusive, resilient, and climate-aligned development agenda.

As the world confronts overlapping crises — from climate change and debt distress to technological disruption — the Asian Development Bank continues to position itself as a trusted partner for both developing members and global donors.

With ADB poised to chair the MDB Heads Group in 2026, its emphasis on multilateral solidarity, innovative finance, and inclusive development offers a compelling model for 21st-century development cooperation.