I had a candid discussion today with ADB’s Staff Council, led by Acting Chair Cesar Llorens, on career mobility, benefits, inclusion, and how we can better support staff through organizational change. I appreciated the Staff Council’s perspectives and look forward to continuing our dialogue. Periods of change make transparency and fair processes even more important. Communicating openly is essential to building trust across ADB and ultimately delivering on our mission of supporting sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth across Asia and the Pacific.

ADB is standing with the people of Bhutan by providing more than $17 million to protect vulnerable families from rising food and energy costs and maintain essential public services as the Middle East conflict puts pressure on the economy. Bhutan relies heavily on imported food and fuel, leaving families, especially the poorest households, exposed to higher global prices. Economic growth is projected to slow from 8.5% in 2025 to 6.5% this year. Working closely with the Government of Bhutan, we are helping expand school meals, ease household energy bills, and keep basic goods affordable. Read the news release: adb.org/news/adb-approves-17…

I am pleased that ADB has approved a $5.6 million grant to help the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) cushion the impact of rising fuel costs driven by the Middle East conflict and keep essential services running. As a small island developing state, FSM is highly susceptible to shocks that begin half a world away. This support will reach at least 29,000 people in poor and vulnerable households and build the country’s resilience to future economic and disaster-related shocks, protecting development gains and supporting long-term stability. News release: adb.org/news/adb-approves-5-…

Congratulations to the ASEAN Capital Markets Forum (ACMF) on opening its new office, which ADB is proud to host at our headquarters. This office will sustain ACMF's vital work to drive financial integration and build deeper, better-connected capital markets for ASEAN’s future. As the region’s main bank, we are combining this institutional support with my commitment in April to mobilize up to $6 billion to build financial markets that serve the region's ambitions and its people.

Giving back to our communities takes many forms. Today, I joined colleagues at @ADB_HQ in donating blood through our partnership with the @philredcross. Every donation has the power to save lives by providing critical support to patients facing medical emergencies, surgeries, and ongoing treatment. I encourage all eligible staff to take part. It is a simple way to make a real difference and help someone in need. Together, let's turn a small act of generosity into a lifesaving gift.

I am pleased that ADB has launched our Pacific Approach 2026 to 2030, a new five-year strategy for 12 Pacific island countries. During my recent visits to the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau and the Pre-COP31 Leaders Program in Fiji and Tuvalu, I saw the severe challenges facing our Pacific partners. Development solutions must fit the region. Our new Pacific Approach will adapt project delivery to each country's capacity and pursue regional solutions to build a more resilient Pacific. News release: adb.org/news/adb-launches-ne…

I was pleased to welcome UN Under-Secretary-General and UNOPS Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva to ADB headquarters, where we signed a Letter of Intent to strengthen our cooperation. In fragile and conflict-affected settings, financing development is only part of the challenge. Delivering projects and essential services can be even harder. We want to build on our work with @UNOPS and find more systematic ways to deliver where the challenges are greatest.

It is a tremendous honor for ADB to receive the Regional Integration Leadership Award from the Indonesia–Malaysia–Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT) Joint Business Council. My sincere thanks to the Council for this recognition. This award belongs to our dedicated ADB teams and our partners across government and the private sector. Together, we have spent years working to strengthen cross-border connectivity, trade, and investment. For ADB, the true measure of regional integration is not just how closely economies are linked, but how widely the prosperity is shared. We remain committed to working with our partners to translate this cooperation into tangible opportunities for people and businesses.

A memorable gathering in Manila with my fellow MDB leaders for the historic, first-ever meeting of the Heads of MDBs meeting in the Philippines. Thank you to my colleagues for the productive discussions, conversations, and shared commitment to delivering results for our members. @AfDB_Group | @AIIB_Official | @COEbanknews | @EBRD | @EIB | @the_IDB | @isdb_group | @WorldBankGroup

As I welcomed fellow MDB leaders to Manila for the group’s first-ever meeting here, I was encouraged by how much we have achieved together during ADB’s 2026 chairship. Our partnership is delivering results. We have advanced private capital mobilization, including an updated MDB-wide methodology to measure it, and deepened collaboration on jobs, critical minerals, local currency financing, AI, and other shared priorities. In an increasingly complex global environment marked by uncertainty, economic pressures, and rapid technological change, our collective action matters more than ever. I am confident we will build on this momentum and deliver even more for the people we serve. Read our statement: adb.org/news/mdb-heads-stren… @AfDGGroup | @AIIBOfficial | @COEbanknews | @EBRD | @EIB | @the_IDB | @isdb_group | @WorldBankGroup

I am thrilled to welcome fellow MDB Heads to ADB Headquarters in Manila. The hosting of this historic meeting is an honor for both ADB, as Chair of the MDB Heads Group, and the Philippines. I look forward to productive discussions on how MDBs can work even more closely together to support our members and respond to today's development challenges. Stronger partnerships deliver better results.

A productive week in Bangkok at the World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings reinforced that the world's challenges are too complex to tackle alone. I valued the opportunity to exchange views with leaders, senior government officials, heads of international financial institutions, and the private sector on how we can work together to strengthen resilience, unlock opportunity, and deliver tangible results to improve lives across the region. News release: adb.org/news/adb-president-m…

It was a pleasure to meet Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul again in Bangkok. I expressed my deep sympathy to communities affected by recent floods. To help build long-term resilience, ADB is accelerating our flagship Lower East Chao Phraya Irrigation System Improvement project and advancing our first health sector loan to modernize regional healthcare. Thailand is now ADB’s second-largest private sector market, where we have driven over $3 billion in investments since 2022 across clean energy, battery storage, and agribusiness to accelerate the country's green transition. Looking ahead to Thailand’s 2028 ASEAN chairship, Thailand can count on ADB. As the region’s main bank, we will mobilize up to $30 billion by 2030 for ASEAN priorities, focusing on connectivity and the digital economy, the blue economy, sustainability-linked finance, and food security.

I welcomed the opportunity to exchange views with Luxembourg Minister of Finance @RothGilles on deepening our partnership in sustainable finance. Our cooperation with Luxembourg is already delivering results, from Luxembourg’s nearly $5 million contribution to support fintech innovation in Southeast Asia to ADB’s $100 million Glacier Melt Awareness green bond launched on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. ADB serves as a bridge between European capitals and developing Asia and the Pacific. With Luxembourg’s leadership in sustainable finance, capital markets, and innovative investment vehicles, we can work together to mobilize private capital at scale.

I was deeply honored to address the Development Committee at the 2026 World Bank-IMF Annual Meetings. With the developing world facing unprecedented pressures, I firmly believe Multilateral Development Banks must act as a unified system to meet these overlapping global crises. As Chair of the MDB Heads Group, my focus is on turning cooperation into concrete action. We are mobilizing greater private capital, including through shared risk databases and local currency solutions. We are also identifying ways to work better as a system, with cofinancing and mutual reliance agreements. Multilateralism is more vital than ever to deliver stronger results.

Strong partnerships with shareholders are essential to helping Asia and the Pacific navigate an increasingly complex global environment. On the sidelines of the 2026 World Bank–IMF Annual Meetings in Bangkok, I had conversations with Canadian Secretary of State @randeepssarai, UK @FCDOGovU Minister @kirstyjmcneill, Republic of Korea Deputy PM @leehimofe, and German @BMZ_Bund Federal Minister Reem Alabali Radovan to discuss how we can deepen cooperation on private sector development, energy security, innovation, and support for our most vulnerable members. I expressed my appreciation for their countries’ continued support for ADB and the Asian Development Fund (ADF), and our shared commitment to multilateralism, sustainable development, and stronger resilience across the region. Together, we can deliver greater impact for the people we serve.

I am pleased to announce the very first investment under the Action for Creating Energy Security for Long-term Resilience (ACCEL), ADB's new partnership with the Government of Japan. This investment wil help develop one of the world’s largest green ammonia plants in India. Ammonia is used every day to produce the fertilizer that helps feed the world. This project changes how we make it. By using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels, we can produce it with far lower emissions and at a scale that can help reshape the industry. This landmark agreement shows how ADB and Japan are turning energy security into practical investments in new markets and jobs. Read news release: adb.org/news/adb-japan-back-…

Valuable discussions with Indonesia Minister of Finance (@KemenkeuRI) Suahasil Nazara and Pakistan Minister for Economic Affairs @AhadKhanCheema1 on the sidelines of the #WBMeetings. We exchanged views on the development priorities of Indonesia and Pakistan and explored opportunities to deepen ADB's support for both countries' growth and resilience objectives. ADB remains committed to supporting both countries through strong partnerships that advance resilience, sustainable growth, and opportunity.