The Asia-Pacific region should strengthen its shared resilience, Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda said at the official opening ceremony of the 59th Annual Meeting of the ADB Board of Governors, Report informs.
"I urge the countries of the Asia-Pacific region to act together to develop jointly through strengthened cross-border connections that foster resilience and inclusive growth. The decisions we make at this new crossroads will secure the future for the next generation. In this fragmented world, traditional and isolated development approaches will fail. To survive and thrive in this new era, we should build deeply interconnected and resilient systems," Kanda added.
The ADB president noted that modern shocks are quickly transmitted across borders-through energy markets, supply chains, and digital networks-hitting communities least able to absorb them.
He emphasized that addressing these challenges requires coordinated regional responses that extend beyond national borders.
"The work ahead is enormous, but our goal is clear. We have a strategy, we have the resources, and we have the collective will to act," Kanda added.