Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, together with Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda, ADB Georgia Resident Mission Director Leslie Bierman Lahm, and Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili, opened the new office of the Asian Development Bank's permanent representation. This information is disseminated by the Government Administration.

As stated in the disseminated information, the head of government emphasized the many years of fruitful partnership between Georgia and the Asian Development Bank and thanked ADB for its support to the country and the government.

“Georgia has a special cooperation with the Asian Development Bank, which brings very tangible results. For a long time, the Asian Development Bank has been Georgia's most reliable, important, development-oriented international partner, and its activities in Georgia fully align with our national priorities. We appreciate the Bank's contribution to the development of various sectors. The Bank's current investment portfolio exceeds 5 billion USD, which finances significant projects. I thank the entire team of the Asian Development Bank and the head of the representation in Georgia, Ms. Leslie Bierman Lahm, whose personal support for Georgia is particularly special,” — noted Irakli Kobakhidze.

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

“Our partnership is strong. At its recent meeting, the Asian Development Bank's committee allocated over 1 billion USD for the development of Georgia's private and public sectors, which will contribute to the country's economic growth through investments. Together, we have achieved progress by supporting large-scale projects, strengthening municipal services, promoting sectoral and institutional reforms, and investing in people. Long before deciding to support Georgia's economic growth, we set the goal of improving the quality of life for the country's population. Our partnership is based on a strong foundation that includes shared values and joint efforts to ensure a bright future,” — stated Masato Kanda.

Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili congratulated the Asian Development Bank on the opening of the new office and noted that with ADB's support, numerous transformative projects have been implemented in the country.

“The Asian Development Bank's representation is growing in line with Georgia's economic growth. The Bank's investment portfolio is also increasing. Next year, we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of our cooperation, and throughout this period, the Asian Development Bank has established itself as a leading international financial institution for Georgia. Transformative projects in Georgia have been implemented precisely with the support of the Asian Development Bank. In total, their volume exceeds 5 billion USD and covers investments in both the private and public sectors. Thank you for the cooperation. We are connected with the Asian Development Bank through the 2024-2028 Partnership Strategy, which outlines the Georgian government's medium- and long-term initiatives. We have a very intensive and ambitious cooperation agenda, and we are pleased that the Asian Development Bank will be by our side. The projects we implement together truly change the lives of our population,” — stated Lasha Khutsishvili.

The opening ceremony of the new office of the Asian Development Bank's permanent representation was attended by members of Georgia's executive authorities, representatives of international financial institutions, and business.