Due to the difficulties and challenges posed by the global pandemic, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will hold its Annual Meeting in a virtual format this year as well by the decision of its Executive Board.

As it was mentioned at the meeting of H.E. Lasha Khutsishvili, Minister of Finance of Georgia and Shane Rosenthal, Head of ADB Regional Office, the large-scale event to be hosted by Georgia in 2021, will be held in the designated country of operation in future, after the end of the pandemic.

Dignitaries discussed issues of cooperation between the Asian Development Bank and Georgia. The Head of ADB Regional Office congratulated Lasha Khutsishvili on his appointment as the Minister of Finance of Georgia and expressed hope that the cooperation between the Bank and Georgia will continue to develop in a dynamic manner. The Minister of Finance of Georgia once again reiterated the importance of support provided by the Asian Development Bank to the country both in terms of economic development and fight against COVID-19.

The Asian Development Bank has allocated 20 BLN USD in response to COVID-19 pandemic, allowing the Bank's member states to use financial resources for both health and social support, thereby stimulating the performance of the private sector.

As the Minister of Finance of Georgia noted, if not a global pandemic and challenges, 54th Annual Meeting of the ADB if held in Tbilisi this year would be important for both the country and the region. He expressed hopes that in the near future - in the post-pandemic period - Tbilisi will be able to host this important and wide-scale event of the Asian Development Bank quite honorably.

As noted at the meeting, the Asian Development Bank will continue to support all areas deemed important for the country.