
The 59th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will take place in Samarkand from May 3 to 6, 2026, as reported by Kursiv.media. This will be the second time this prestigious financial event is held in Uzbekistan — the first was organized in Tashkent in 2010.
ADB President Masato Kanda emphasized that holding the meeting in Samarkand will serve as a source of inspiration for strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development. According to him, Samarkand is considered an ideal place to enhance cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region due to its rich history and cultural heritage.
Uzbekistan's Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khojayev noted that the country has been rapidly implementing economic and social reforms in recent years. According to him, the poverty rate in Uzbekistan has decreased from 23% to 11% over the past four years. It is planned to reduce this figure to 9% by 2025 and to half by 2030.
ADB is one of Uzbekistan's largest development partners, having allocated over $5.4 billion to support the country's economy in the last five years. The bank supports projects in Uzbekistan in the fields of green energy, private sector development, and investment in human capital.