ADB Chief arrives in Sri Lanka on official visit

Masato Kanda, the President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), arrived in Sri Lanka today, October 23, for an official visit. He mentioned that he chose this time to come to Colombo because it is a "critical moment" for the country as it moves from dealing with a crisis to focusing on recovery and sustainable economic growth. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kanda shared that he received a warm welcome at the airport from Sri Lanka’s Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance, Anil Jayantha Fernando. He pointed out that this visit allows him to meet with government officials, the private sector, and local communities to better understand the key development priorities for the future. Kanda also highlighted that the ADB is committed to supporting Sri Lanka’s transition by improving infrastructure and connectivity, while also encouraging investments to promote growth led by the private sector. He expressed his eagerness to collaborate closely with various stakeholders in the upcoming days to further these goals.