EBRD expected to approve Armenia Country Strategy in first quarter of 2025
YEREVAN, November 26. /ARKA/. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is keen to maintain the momentum of elevated investments in Armenia in years to come, EBRD Managing Director for Turkey and the Caucasus, Elisabetta Falcetti said in an exclusive interview with the ARKA news agency.
'So many interesting initiatives are being deployed in Armenia by the EBRD. We have very energetic, skilled and enthusiastic team in Yerevan that are passionate about supporting Armenia’s further development and integration into global economy,' she said.
According to her, next month with the support of EU, EBRD will be launching Capital Markets Support Program to boost the local capital markets and create alternative financing solutions for the local SMEs. The programme aims to provide assistance to Armenian corporate issuers of bonds and equity, through tailored capacity-building and grant co-financing of issuance-related expenses.
'We look forward to delivering impact through financing key water and solid waste infrastructure, where the bank has a mandate to finance regional solid waste management facilities and number of water reservoirs. These are projects of strategic importance that will bring social, economic and environmental benefits,' Falcetti said.
She said during her recent trip to Armenia she met with government officials, development partners, with Central Bank Governor, with the Mayor of Yerevan and private sector players to learn more about the challenges and opportunities. I was accompanied by team of EBRD specialists who are key to designing our next country strategy.
'So, our discussions with the key stakeholders were integral to the forthcoming Armenia Country Strategy, which we anticipate to present to our Board for approval in the first quarter of 2025. The strategy will be the ‘roadmap’ for our investment priorities in Armenia for years 2025 – 2030,' she said.
The EBRD is one of the leading institutional investors in Armenia. During its operation in Armenia, it has invested 2.4 billion euros in 220 projects in areas such as energy, infrastructure, telecommunications, and finance. -0-
