EDB Head Addressed UN General Assembly
Igor Finogenov, Chairman of the EDB Executive Board, attended the 63rd Session of the UN General Assembly. He spoke at a high-level Plenary Session dedicated to the medium-term review of the progress of the Almaty Programme of Actions and an Investment Forum dedicated to support to developing landlocked countries.
The Almaty Programme of Actions was adopted in 2003 at an international conference initiated by the UN General Assembly, which became the first global forum to discuss the problems of landlocked countries. The aim of the Programme is to create conditions for raising resources required for addressing these countries’ problems. The Programme’s priorities are transit policy, infrastructure development and operation, assistance to international trade, and international support.
In his addresses Mr. Finogenov stressed, particularly, that the Bank focuses on Eurasian countries, including Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Armenia which have no access to sea.
Mr. Finogenov also pointed out the need for sizable efforts to build economically efficient transport infrastructure, heavy investments in power generation, and development of hi-end products to provide momentum to these economies and improve their competitiveness. In this connection, he mentioned that the EDB had been mandated by the heads of its founder countries, Russia and Kazakhstan, to consider the various options of implementing the project to build a water transport canal between the Caspian and Azov—Black Sea basins, and its participation in the development of the Western Europe—Western China and North—South international transport corridors.
“These tasks call for wider regional co-operation”, Igor Finogenov said, stressing that these countries have a sound potential for economic co-operation with Russia in solving the problems of power generating and transport infrastructure and diversifying their economies.
“Special attention should be paid to projects relating to the use of water resources of Central Asian rivers and developing their power generating potential”, said the EDB head. “The Eurasian Development Bank recognises the importance of solving problems in the water power sector, and develops new approaches to participation in water power projects in Central Asia which would ensure the balance of interests of states and provide an additional impetus for the integration process in the region. The Bank takes the position that any project in this area requires a consensus among the countries in the region, with due regard for the interests of upstream and downstream countries”.
During his stay in New York Igor Finogenov also met with Nambaryn Enkhbayar, President of Mongolia; Sha Zukang, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs; Cheick Sidi Diarra, UN High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States; Kori Udovicki, Director of the UNDP Bureau for Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States; Vitaly Churkin, Permanent Representative of Russia in the UN; and Byrganym Aitimova, Permanent Representative of Kazakhstan in the UN.
In December 2007 the EDB was granted the observer status in the UN General Assembly. This opens up new opportunities for the Bank to widen multilateral co-operation, strengthen the international positions of its member countries, and establish direct contacts with UN regional commissions and bodies, including UNDP, ESCAP, ECE, FAO, and UNCTAD.