EDB Discusses Private Business Financing Prospects in Minsk
Roman Efimov, Head of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Country Office in Belarus, held a working meeting in Minsk with Vladislav Tatarinovich, Minister of Finance of Belarus. They discussed the Bank's investments in the private sector of Belarus, including public-private partnership (PPP) projects and initiatives to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The potential investment in such projects could reach $300 million.
The Eurasian Development Bank specialises in non-sovereign financing of private projects and has significant experience and expertise in PPP projects. The EDB's accumulated portfolio of PPP projects in its region of operations stands at $1.4 billion.
The EDB notes that PPP mechanisms are becoming a key tool for attracting non-sovereign financing and investment in private projects related to infrastructure, transport, digital services and the utilities sector. The Bank is consistently developing its expertise in this area, including support for project preparation and structuring, the development of digital solutions and the exchange of best practices among member states.
Under such mechanisms, private companies launch and implement infrastructure and service projects, receiving state‑provided support measures – tariff preferences, guarantees, subsidies or other incentive instruments. The EDB, in turn, provides financing and investment directly to private projects, helping to attract additional capital to the economies of member states.
The meeting also discussed the development of SME support instruments and approaches to shaping the Bank's new country strategy for 2027–2031.
The development of the financial sector of member states is one of the EDB's priorities. Investments in financial institutions that act as local intermediaries between the Bank and small and medium-sized businesses are an effective way to support private enterprise and SMEs in EDB member states.
Over its 20 years of operations, the EDB has allocated more than $300 million to SME support and microcredit programmes in its member states. The EDB is also actively involved in developing the institutional environment for SMEs. In 2026, the EDB, together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the OSCE Programme Office in Bishkek, partnered in the development of a Programme for the Support and Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises of the Kyrgyz Republic until 2030, which defines the long‑term strategy for the development of the SME sector in Kyrgyzstan.
Additional Information:
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) is a multilateral development bank investing in Eurasia. For 20 years, the Bank has worked to strengthen and expand economic ties and foster comprehensive development in its member countries. By the end of December 2025, the EDB’s cumulative portfolio comprised 326 projects with a total investment of US $19,6 billion. Its portfolio consists principally of projects with an integration effect in transport infrastructure, digital systems, green energy, agriculture, manufacturing and mechanical engineering. The Bank adheres to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and ESG principles in its operations.
The EDB is implementing three mega-projects as part of its 2022–2026 Strategy: the Eurasian Transport Network, the Eurasian Agricultural Goods Distribution System and the Central Asian Water and Energy Complex.
The EDB Media Centre:
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