Eurasian Development Bank Gains Observer Status in the MCDF Coordination Committee, Strengthening Global Infrastructure Partnerships
ALMATY, 25 September 2025. – The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has obtained Observer status on the Coordination Committee (CC) of the Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF), marking a significant step in enhancing multilateral cooperation for sustainable infrastructure development across its member states.
The MCDF is a global partnership of major international financial institutions (IFIs) and countries aimed at promoting high-quality connectivity infrastructure investment through partnerships, and under its Finance Facility, it supports information sharing, capacity building, and project preparation. The MCDF Coordination Committee comprises 14 leading IFIs including the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), 7 donor countries, as well as 17 Observer countries and 3 Observer organizations. It oversees the MCDF’s Collaboration Platform and provides strategic guidance.
As an Observer, the EDB will actively contribute to high-level discussions on global infrastructure priorities aligning them with the development needs of its member countries in Central Asia and beyond. This status recognizes the EDB’s growing role as a key development institution in the Eurasian region. Two other Observer organizations are the East African Development Bank (EADB) and the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD).
"The EDB welcomes this opportunity to join the MCDF Coordination Committee as an Observer," said Nikolai Podguzov, Chairman of the EDB Management Board. "This new status is a testament to our commitment to fostering economic development in Central Asia, and will allow us to better leverage global expertise and co-financing opportunities within our mega-projects: the Central Asian water-energy complex, the Eurasian Transport Network and the Agricultural Goods Distribution System. We look forward to collaborating closely with fellow IFIs to enhance the investment potential of our region."
The EDB plans to engage actively across all MCDF platforms. Key areas for collaboration include:
- Strategic Dialogue: The EDB will actively participate in Coordination Committee meetings to share regional insights.
- Collaboration Platform and Knowledge Sharing: The EDB will co-organize knowledge-sharing events together with MCDF and other IFIs on a broad range of topics, including climate-smart infrastructure, Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), cross-border infrastructure, environmental and social safeguards, debt sustainability and digital infrastructure, participate in relevant events and contribute the EDB’s expertise to MCDF knowledge products.
- Leveraging the JIGSAW Platform: The EDB will continue its active participation in the JIGSAW platform— MCDF’s digital solution for promoting high-quality connectivity infrastructure— through sharing its knowledge products, as well as exploring opportunities for project cooperation.
The EDB has already demonstrated its commitment to the MCDF’s goals by uploading six knowledge products to JIGSAW in 2024 and looks forward to deepening this collaboration to maximize development impact.
Additional Information:
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) is a multilateral development bank investing in Eurasia. For more than 19 years, the Bank has worked to strengthen and expand economic ties and foster comprehensive development in its member countries. By July 2025, the EDB’s cumulative portfolio comprised 319 projects with a total investment of US $19.1 billion. The Bank's portfolio consists principally of projects with an integration effect in transport infrastructure, digital systems, green energy, agriculture, manufacturing, and mechanical engineering. The Bank’s operations are guided by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and ESG principles. As part of its 2022–2026 Strategy, the EDB is implementing 3 mega-projects: The Water and Energy Complex of Central Asia, The Eurasian Transport Network, and The Eurasian Commodity Distribution Network.
The Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF) is a multilateral financial mechanism designed to promote high-quality infrastructure and connectivity investments in developing countries through partnerships. Together with its partners, MCDF is committed to promoting International Financial Institution (IFI) standards. Started operations in 2021 MCDF supports developing countries, IFIs and new partners (i.e., developing country financiers) in addressing quality and sustainability challenges impacting cross-border infrastructure and connectivity within the scope of their efforts to implement the G20 Quality Infrastructure Principles.
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