Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Finance, and Governor for Fiji to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Hon. Professor Biman Prasad met with the Asian Development Bank President Masato Kanda during the 2025 Annual Meetings of the Asian Development Bank in Milan, Italy.
Discussions focused on strengthening partnerships through the delivery of planned infrastructure projects and leveraging Fiji's position towards regional integration and delivering regional public goods.
Both parties shared concerns on the global outlook, amid escalating trade tensions, financial market adjustments, and changing policy positions that could lead to even tighter global financial conditions.
DPM Prasad congratulated President Kanda on his appointment as the 11th President of ADB and assured him of Fiji’s support in his new role.
President Kanda recognised the unique position of Fiji in the Pacific as a hub and the challenge of vulnerability in the Pacific with increasing and intensifying natural disasters. He thanked DPM Prasad for the cooperation with the Fiji Government in finalising the Country Partnership Strategy and the various projects that have been progressing in Fiji.
DPM Prasad also met with the Head of the Australian Delegation to the Annual Meetings, Executive Director Rachel Thompson, and thanked Australia for the continued support of Fiji’s development ambitions and called for increased efforts to expedite regional integration in the Pacific and for the Pacific as a group to leverage the international financial architecture to meet their development challenges.
DPM Prasad is joined by the Permanent Secretary for Finance, the Governor of the Reserve Bank and senior officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Reserve Bank of Fiji.