BANGKOK: Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Pakistan’s Governor to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Ahad Khan Cheema, met with ADB President Masato Kanda on the sidelines of the 2026 Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, to discuss Pakistan’s development priorities and avenues for strengthening cooperation under the ADB Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) 2026–2030.
The Minister congratulated Kanda on his re-election for a second term and appreciated ADB’s longstanding partnership with Pakistan. He welcomed the approval of ADB’s Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) 2026–2030 as an important framework for a more strategic and impact-oriented partnership. Emphasising the importance of private sector-led growth, the Minister called for an expansion of ADB’s non-sovereign operations in Pakistan and a stronger permanent on-ground presence to facilitate investment transactions and develop a robust pipeline of public-private partnership projects.
The Pakistan delegation also highlighted the importance of affordable development financing and greater flexibility in ADB’s lending framework, alongside expanded private-sector operations and sustained support for Pakistan’s development priorities.
The Minister also appreciated ADB’s lead role in advancing the ML-1 Railway Upgradation Project; a strategic investment to modernise Pakistan’s railway corridor, strengthen regional connectivity, and transform the country’s transport and logistics network. He underlined the need for early completion of the feasibility study and commencement of the procurement process for this flagship project.
ADB President Mr. Masato Kanda reaffirmed ADB’s continued engagement with Pakistan and committed to helping fast-track the Bank’s institutional processes for the ML-1 project.
Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening their partnership and advancing shared development priorities. They expressed the resolve to work closely together to accelerate project implementation and deliver sustainable development outcomes for Pakistan.