ArmInfo. On October 18, Minister of Finance of Armenia Atom Dzhandzhigazyan received a delegation led by a member of the Board of Directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Shivaji Kshatrapata and Director General of the ADB Central and West Asia Department Werner Lipaki.
According to the press service of the Ministry of Finance, the parties discussed the prospects for expanding programs implemented in the public and private sectors. The main directions of the partnership strategy were discussed, which reflected the prospects for expanding opportunities aimed at economic development, improving the efficiency of public administration and capacity development.
The interlocutors also touched upon the development of a sectoral strategy of the RA government and its harmonization, as a result of which the range of programs implemented jointly with ABT will be clarified. In this context, ADB representatives noted the importance of proper preparation and implementation of programs in the fields of agriculture, infrastructure, health, education and energy.
Atom Dzhandzhugazyan noted the importance of cooperation with ADB. According to him, this interaction is essential in implementing reforms in the republic in a number of areas. Shivaji Kshatrapaty, in turn, praised the achievements of the RA government, in particular, in terms of ensuring a stable fiscal environment and the issue of Eurobonds. Armenia joined ADB in 2005 and is part of a group of countries with mixed (concessional and conventional) financing. ADB works to reduce poverty in the Asia-Pacific region by stimulating economic growth and regional integration. In the field of transport, ADB continues to assist Armenia in the construction of the North-South transport corridor, as well as in strengthening transport links between cities with high poverty levels. According to statistics on the bank's website, at the end of 2017, ABR implemented 52 projects in Armenia for a total of $ 1.32 billion, of which $ 635 million was allocated for the development of transport infrastructure, $ 172 million for urban infrastructure and water supply, $ 152 million for finance, $ 142 million in energy, $ 140 million in administrative management.