News — The EDB Fund for Digital Initiatives

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) participated in the eighth session of the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development hosted by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. The event took place from 13 to 14 March 2024 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) participated in the UNECE Regional Forum on Sustainable Development’s side event titled “The Role of Regional Integration in Achieving the SDGs: EAEU and Other Structures.”

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and Dar Al Sharia entered into an agreement to implement Islamic finance principles and standards at the EDB.

The well-being and prosperity of all nations within the vast Eurasian region directly hinge on collaborative efforts spanning various domains such as infrastructure, trade and investment, finance and humanitarian endeavours. Deepening cooperation calls for pragmatic applied solutions that can be enabled relatively fast and with flexible configurations among participating countries. Direct horizontal cooperation mechanisms would make it possible to reduce intermediation by third parties (countries, international organisations, transnational corporations), enhance security and lower the costs associated with direct interactions among Eurasian nations. Local joint projects or cooperation formats tailored to address the region’s challenges hold greater promise for success due to the limited number of participants, as well as reduced red tape and contradictions that jeopardise the chances of practical success.

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) participated in a round table at the 11th Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD) held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 21 to 22 February 2024. Conrad Albrecht, Managing Director and Head of the EDB’s Directorate of Sustainability, delivered a speech at the panel discussion focusing on achieving UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 “Climate Action.” The discussion convened representatives from the private sector, ESCAP and other international organisations. In his presentation, Conrad Albrecht underscored the need for international financial support for climate mitigation and adaptation projects at the regional level.

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has released the latest Macroeconomic Review for its six member states. This regular publication provides a roundup of the macroeconomic situation and projects near-term developments in the member countries. The review also contains detailed statistics on key macroeconomic indicators.

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) conducted a webinar on Cross-Border PPP Projects, bringing together over 80 representatives of the banking sector, governmental and regional authorities from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Tajikistan, along with investors and PPP experts.

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and Russian-Armenian University (RAU) are launching collaborative research and training programmes focusing on public-private partnerships (PPP). A relevant agreement on the EDB’s technical assistance was signed by Denis Ilin, EDB Senior Managing Director, and Edward Sandoyan, Rector of RAU. This agreement builds upon a previously established memorandum between the two parties. The EDB Technical Assistance Fund will extend a grant to finance this initiative, which is designed to enhance Armenia’s PPP landscape in the long term.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kazakhstan, met with Nikolai Podguzov, Chairman of the Eurasian Development Bank’s (EDB) Management Board. Nikolai Podguzov provided President Tokayev with an overview of the Bank’s performance and outlined its plans for the forthcoming period. He highlighted that the EDB’s annual investment in Kazakhstan's economy has exceeded US $1 billion for the second consecutive year.