ADB to work with Maldives to strengthen regional dimension of investments, knowledge

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has said that it will work with the governments of Maldives and Sri Lanka to strengthen the regional dimension of investments and knowledge.

This was announced by Rosalind McKenzie, regional cooperation specialist of South Asia Department at the ADB, at an event held this morning at Traders Hotel to launch the Second WCO-ADB Joint Subregional Train-the-Trainer Workshop on Customs Valuation.

“ADB looks forward to having the Maldives and Sri Lanka at all future SASEC [South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation] events, and to working with your respective governments through the ADB country programming process, to strengthen the regional dimension of both investments and knowledge,” said McKenzie at today’s event.

She also announced that the joint secretaries of the Ministry of Finance of the four founding members of SASEC, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal, have agreed with ADB’s recommendation, to invite Maldives and Sri Lanka to all future SASEC meetings and events as full members.

“Expanding membership to the Maldives and Sri Lanka will help SASEC achieve better synergy with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) as the two countries are active SAARC members,” said McKenzie.

She said that Maldives and Sri Lanka will also be able to pursue capacity building activities, as well as a range of projects of shared interests with current SASEC members in the areas of transport, trade facilitation, and energy .