Bank of the Lao PDR attends ADB Annual Meeting and ASEAN+3 finance and central bank governors talks in Milan

The Bank of the Lao PDR reported that Acting Governor Vatthana Dalaloy led a senior delegation to the 58th Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors Annual Meeting and the 28th ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting in Milan, Italy, from 3 to 7 May 2025. The meetings focused on development and financial-sector priorities, including digital finance, financial stability and sustainable investment. Held under the theme “Sharing Experience, Building Tomorrow”, the ADB Annual Meeting covered economic recovery, climate change and the use of technology in development. Financial-sector discussions highlighted expanding access to financial services through digital finance, strengthening regional financial stability through improvements to laws, regulations and banking oversight frameworks, and promoting sustainable investment via funding support and green bond issuance for environmentally friendly projects; ADB President Masato Kanda also announced increased assistance for developing countries to address climate and poverty challenges. The ASEAN+3 meeting, held alongside the ADB gathering with participation from member authorities, Hong Kong SAR, China, Timor-Leste as an observer and international bodies including the International Monetary Fund and the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office, provided a forum to exchange views on macroeconomic conditions and reinforce regional financial cooperation as a crisis-prevention safety net.