On Wednesday December 17, Tajikistan's Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Daler Juma, met with Mr. Ko Sakamoto, the newly appointed Asian Development Bank (ADB) Country Director for Tajikistan, here to discuss cooperation issues, the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources (MoEWR)’s press center says.

The two reportedly discussed bilateral cooperation in the energy and water sectors.

The minister outlined current priorities and highlighted the importance of ADB’s support in these areas.

Mr. Sakamoto, for his part, reaffirmed the ADB's commitment to supporting energy development and efficient water resource management in Tajikistan.

Both sides reportedly expressed optimism about strengthening their partnership and implementing new projects in these key sectors.

As it had been reported earlier, Mr. Sakamoto is expected to assume office in early 2025.

He will lead ADB’s work in Tajikistan in close coordination with the government and other stakeholders. He will also supervise the formulation and implementation of ADB’s upcoming country partnership strategy (CPS) for 2026–2030, which will be aligned with national development priorities. The current CPS will end in 2025.

Mr. Sakamoto succeeds Ms. Shanny Campbell, who had served in Tajikistan since 2021 and was recently appointed as ADB Country Director for the Lao People’s Democratic Republic

Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998.  For 26 years, ADB has supported a wide range of sectors from strategic road and energy infrastructure to climate and agriculture, health, education, urban development, public sector management, and finance for a total of over US$2.7 billion in assistance—including over US$2.2 billion in grants.