Samoa participates in the 58th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank in Milan, Italy
The Government of Samoa participated in the 58th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) held from 4th to 7th May 2025 in Milan, Italy, under the theme “Sharing Experience, Building Tomorrow.” This annual gathering brings together ADB member countries, development partners, and stakeholders to exchange insights, discuss key development challenges, and shape policies that promote sustainable and inclusive growth across the Asia-Pacific region.
The Samoan delegation was led by the Honourable Minister of Finance, Lautimuia Afoa Uelese Vaai, and included senior officials from the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Samoa. The meeting provided a vital platform for Samoa to engage in high-level policy dialogue and conduct bilateral meetings with development partners in support of Samoa’s national development priorities and fiscal sustainability goals.
The delegation met with the newly appointed ADB President, Mr. Masato Kanda. Samoa welcomed the opportunity to express appreciation for ADB’s ongoing support to development initiatives across finance, health, environment, climate resilience, and transport and infrastructure. During the engagement, Samoa highlighted its key development priorities, including a renewed focus on the energy sector such as upgrading the Fiaga Power Station and scaling up renewable energy investments, climate-resilient infrastructure like the Multipurpose Dam and downstream floodwalls, policy-based lending and domestic revenue mobilisation within the finance sector, and strengthened support for MSME development to enhance community-level economic resilience.
The dialogue reaffirmed Samoa’s strong and historic partnership with ADB as a founding member and explored opportunities for deeper collaboration to address the country’s evolving development needs.
Samoa also participated in the second annual Japan–Pacific Island Countries Finance Ministers Meeting, co-chaired by Japan’s Minister of Finance and the Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (Hon. Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of Tonga).
Discussions centred around:
• Sustaining Correspondent Banking Relations;
• Promoting Disaster Risk Financing; and
• Strengthening Domestic Resource Mobilization to ensure debt sustainability.
Samoa acknowledged Japan’s leadership and progress in these areas since the first meeting and reinforced the importance of regional dialogue on these issues.
As a member of the Pacific Developing Member Countries (PDMCs), Samoa supported the Pacific Joint Statement delivered by Solomon Islands on behalf of the region. The statement underscored regional priorities such as private sector development and disaster and climate risk financing, both of which are consistent with the Pathway for the Development of Samoa (PDS).
In the ADB Board Suite 5 Constituency Meeting, Samoa joined other member countries such as Armenia, Cook Islands, Fiji, Indonesia, Kyrgyz Republic, New Zealand, and Tonga to support constituency-wide development priorities including climate financing, digital transformation, private sector engagement, and regional cooperation. Samoa also reiterated its commitment to sustainable energy solutions through the right energy mix and reaffirmed support for upgrading energy infrastructure and investing in renewable technologies. The delegation acknowledged the important advocacy role of the Executive Director at the ADB Board, especially in promoting the interests of Pacific nations, and emphasized the need for enhanced technical assistance, capacity building, and tailored development solutions for the region.
Additional bilateral engagements included meetings with the ADB Pacific and Treasury Departments, as well as with development partners from New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the OPEC Fund, the World Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Samoa’s participation in the 58th ADB Annual Meeting reaffirms its commitment to advancing inclusive, climate-resilient, and sustainable development through strong regional cooperation and enduring partnerships.
