Asian Development Bank names new regional director to oversee Azerbaijan, Central-West Asia

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has named Leah Gutierrez as the new Director General of its Central and West Asia Department, responsible for overseeing operations in 11 countries, including Azerbaijan.

According to a statement from the bank, Gutierrez will manage ADB’s engagement with Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Azerbaijan, a member of ADB since 1999, has received over $5 billion in loans from the bank to date. These funds have primarily supported transport and energy projects, with $1.5 billion allocated for transport infrastructure and $1.7 billion for energy development. Beyond these sectors, the bank also backs projects in healthcare, agriculture, and finance within the country.

Currently, ADB is developing a new Partnership Strategy with Azerbaijan for the 2025–2029 period. The strategy prioritises financing green infrastructure, improving water resource management, ensuring food security, diversifying exports, and fostering green skills development. This follows the conclusion of the previous strategy, which spanned 2019 to 2023.

Founded in 1966, ADB is headquartered in Manila, Philippines, and has 69 member countries, 50 of which are in the Asia-Pacific region.

By Vugar Khalilov