The Board of Governors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have underscored the significance of continued investment in infrastructure in Asia to stimulate growth and eliminate poverty for the sake of sustainable and comprehensive development in the region.

At a press briefing right after the 46th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of ADB ended in New Delhi, India on May 5, ADB President Takehika Nakao said delegates to the meeting agreed that sustainable and comprehensive growth is the most important among challenges facing the Asia-Pacific at present.

As a result, they proposed that the bank should concentrate on overcoming issues relating to unsustainable development, of which, inequality, especially gender issue should be given top priority, he added.

The meeting also suggested that ADB should pay more attention to the environment, climate change, and green growth while acknowledging the bank’s role in regional connectivity, the president said.

Themed “Beyond Factory Asia: Fueling Growth in a Changing World”, this year’s meeting encompassed issues on comprehensive and sustainable development in Asia as well as seeking ways to help vulnerable groups get better access to health, education, and other social services.

The Vietnamese delegation to the meeting was led by Dao Minh Tu, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam.

Kazakhstan is scheduled to host the 47th annual meeting which offers a chance for member countries to review their performance in the past year and discuss the global social-economic situation, thus coming up with solutions to emerging matters as well as define future orientations.-VNA