EDB to increase share of interstate projects in its portfolio up to 70% by 2026

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has plans to expand the share of interstate and integration projects in the bank’s portfolio up to 70% by 2026, Senior Managing Director of the Eurasian Development Bank Denis Ilin said at the EDB Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Kazakhstan, BelTA has learned.

Denis Ilin recalled that the EDB turned 18 years in 2024. “Since its establishment, the Eurasian Development Bank has provided investments worth almost $15 billion, bankrolled 280 projects in the financial sector, energy, transport and mining industry. The last four years were probably the most active period for the bank as its assets increased by 58%,” the senior managing director remarked.

According to him, the EDB has become a leading international development bank in terms of lending in national currencies, which is important for the region. “For us national currencies are just as important as the dollar, the euro and other currencies commonly used by international development banks to finance projects,” emphasized Denis Ilin.

There is a strong demand for credit products of development banks in the region, he added.

Denis Ilin named interstate and integration projects as one of the priorities for the EDB. “This is a kind of cluster of projects that cut across several countries. We view such projects as a core, a bridge from strategy and analytics to specific investment projects,” he noted.

According to the senior managing director, currently the share of integration projects in the bank’s portfolio is 64%. “That is, two-thirds of all our work spans more than one country generating an economic or macroeconomic effect. This pertains to such sectors as transport, energy, and food. Our goal by 2026 is to increase the share of such projects up to 70%,” the senior managing director informed.

The EDB Annual Meeting and Business Forum are taking place in Kazakhstan’s Almaty on 27-28 June. The forum has brought together representatives of development banks, international organizations, business community, academia, and professional associations from various countries. Over the course of two days, they will exchange experiences, discuss current issues, and also map out ways for joint development within the Eurasian space.

The Eurasian Development Bank is a multilateral development bank investing in Eurasia. For more than 18 years, the Bank has been working to strengthen and expand economic ties and foster comprehensive development in its member countries. The EDB's charter capital totals US $7 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.