MCDF CEO and EDB Chair Commit to Deepen Connectivity Partnership at its Annual Meeting

Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) Chairman Nikolai Podguzov and Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF) CEO Zhongjing Wang committed to deepen their partnership to promote high-quality connectivity investment at the EDB Annual Meeting in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 25-26 June. MCDF also participated in a panel session organized as part of the annual meeting program.

Chairman Podguzov was accompanied by EDB’s Vice Chairmen Mr. Aleksei Skatin and Mr. Evgeny Vinokurov, and Senior Managing Director – Head of International Relations, Mr. Alexander Pilishin. CEO Wang, joined by MCDF’s Mr. Strahan Spencer, thanked Chairman Podguzov and his senior staff for EDB becoming an Observer of the MCDF Coordination Committee in 2025 and for its role as a co-organizer of the ongoing and popular MCDF 2026 Public-Private Partnership Hot Topics Workshop Series.

Chairman Podguzov informed CEO Wang of EDB’s strong intention to work toward meeting the accreditation requirements for EDB to become an MCDF Implementing Partner, which will enable it to seek MCDF project preparation and capacity building grants for connectivity projects in EDB member countries. CEO Wang welcomed EDB’s resolve to pursue this target and, in parallel, he and Chairman Podguzov reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing EDB and MCDF’s knowledge-sharing collaboration.

The MCDF delegation met with EDB’s Sustainability Office Head, Ms. Evgeniya Klochkova, EDB Academy Head, Ms. Maria Pavlova, Research Department Head, Mr. Alexey Kuznetsov, and Technical Assistance Coordination Office Head, Ms. Vera Barkatina. They discussed opportunities to build on EDB-MCDF knowledge-sharing collaboration in areas such as occupational health and safety, energy storage, and project preparation.

Following opening remarks by Vice Chairman Skatin, CEO Wang delivered a keynote speech at the EDB Annual Meeting panel session on 26 June entitled “Technical Assistance as a Catalyst for Investment: MDBs’ Perspective.” He described technical assistance as the bridge that moves projects from concept to implementation, with MCDF helping IFIs share project pipelines, apply common standards to ensure quality, and coordinate resources effectively.

"MCDF’s priority is to strengthen coordination among developing countries, multilateral development banks, and partners to promote bankable and sustainable cross-border connectivity infrastructure investment,” said CEO Wang. “Through capacity building programs and knowledge-sharing activities, we have been working with MDBs to strengthen the ability of developing countries’ financiers to apply international standards in sustainable and green financing,” he continued.

Joining the session as a panelist, Mr. Spencer, Head of MCDF’s Platform Team, highlighted the benefits of coordination between MCDF and IFIs in the preparation of sector-specific research and master plans. “Collaborative work on sector diagnostics and master plans improves the quality of analytical work and provides a strong foundation for future cofinancing of investment projects," he explained.

Mr. Zhongjing Wang, CEO, MCDF

Left to right: Mr. Aleksei Skatin, Vice Chairman, Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), Ms. Vera Barkatina, Head, Technical Assistance Coordination Office, EDB, Mr. Strahan Spencer, Head of Platform Team, MCDF, Mr. Utsav Kumar, Country Director for Kazakhstan, Asian Development Bank, Mr. Yahya Rehman, Deputy Head of Global Lead Specialists, Islamic Development Bank, Mr. Kazuhiro Nomoto, Partnership Officer, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank