ADB President reaffirms support for Sri Lanka’s recovery
Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masatsugu Asakawa and Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa met in Colombo on Thursday and reaffirmed ADB’s support for Sri Lanka’s recovery path from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr. Asakawa commended the government’s rapid vaccination drive, which has been critical to managing the spread of COVID-19 and kick- starting economic activities amid social, fiscal, and debt challenges, according to a media release issued by the ADB.
“Sri Lanka is managing a number of complex challenges raised during the COVID-19 pandemic, including through necessary efforts to restore fiscal and external balances while containing inflation,” Mr. Asakawa said. “ADB is committed to supporting the government in addressing the present challenges and striding toward green, resilient, and inclusive growth as well as sustainable energy transition.”
Together with ADB Director General for South Asia Kenichi Yokoyama and ADB Secretary Muhammad Ehsan Khan, Mr. Asakawa reviewed preparations for the 55th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of Governors to be hosted by Sri Lanka in September 2022 with the theme of "Positioning Climate Resilient Green Economy for the Post COVID-19 World".