ADB focus shifts to Fiji for 2019 meet
The Asian Development Bank’s 51st Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors has been hailed as a success for Fiji.
The meeting was held at the ADB headquarters in Manila, Philippines and hosted by the Philippines.
With more than over 4,000 delegates from member governments, academics, business leaders, and civil society representatives attending, already they are looking forward to travelling to Fiji to attend the 52nd meeting in Nadi next year.
The Attorney-General and Minister for Economy, Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum, was gifted a baton by the Chair of the ADB Board of Governors and Governor for the Republic of the Philippines, and Secretary of Finance, Philippines, Carlos Dominguez yesterday to carry on the chairmanship. Mr Sayed-Khaiyum is the ADB Governor for Fiji
At a press conference yesterday, Mr Sayed-Khaiyum said they have been receiving very positive feedback about Fiji hosting the big meeting next year.
He said there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes and that they would be tapping in to the resources of ADB and various other development partners to ensure that the meeting will be successful.
He highlighted that it was of course an ADB annual meeting that’s not just by Fiji but it’s by the Pacific region.
He further stressed that it was an opportunity for everyone in the ADB family to realise and appreciate what is a happening in the Pacific.
He also noted it was also an opportunity to be able to collaborate to further the overall objective of ADB.
He reiterated that as hosts they looked forward to seeing the delegates next year and welcoming them with the Bula spirit along with the well-known Fijian hospitality.
The theme for the meeting scheduled for May 2 to 5, 2019 in Nadi is ‘Prosperity through Unity’.
Mr Sayed-Khaiyum had also been attending a lot of bilateral meetings with key stakeholders which looks positive especially leading up to the meeting in 2019. ADB president Takehiko Nakao said this would be the first ADB Annual Meeting hosted by a Pacific Developing Member Country (DMC).
“The Annual Meeting in 2019 will be an unprecedented opportunity for all of you to showcase the Pacific and its achievements, but also to highlight the development challenges that remain,” he said. “On our part, we will pursue further measures to support vulnerable small states in the Pacific.
“To support ADB’s preparations for the 2019 Annual Meeting, I plan to travel to Fiji later this year. I also hope to visit other Pacific DMCs.
“I look forward to our continued partnership to achieve more inclusive and sustainable development across the Pacific.”