The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) is a multilateral development bank investing in Eurasia. For more than 19 years, the Bank has worked to strengthen and expand economic ties and foster comprehensive development in its member countries.

By the end of 2024, the EDB’s cumulative portfolio comprised 305 projects with total investments of US $16.5 billion. It consists principally of projects with integration effects in transport infrastructure, digital systems, green energy, agriculture, manufacturing and mechanical engineering.

The EDB Council is the Bank’s supreme management body. The Chairman of the EDB Council is Olzhas Bektenov, Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The Chairman of the EDB Management Board is Nikolai Podguzov. The Bank is headquartered in Almaty and has representative offices in Astana, Moscow, Dushanbe, Yerevan, St. Petersburg, Minsk, Bishkek and Tashkent.

The EDB’s priority objective is to promote stable economic growth in its member states, improve living standards and the environment, and ensure the efficient use of natural resources.

Potential areas for financing include projects aimed at developing transport and logistics infrastructure, industry, the water and energy complex, integration and cooperation, as well as green initiatives. The EDB provides technical assistance and supports digital projects through its dedicated funding instruments – the Technical Assistance Fund and the Fund for Digital Initiatives. Since 2024, the Bank has also been developing an Islamic Finance window. The EDB’s operations are guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and ESG principles.

As of the end of 2024, the EDB’s cumulative investment portfolio in Kazakhstan totalled US $7.2 billion and included 116 projects.  These include landmark initiatives such as the construction of Turkistan International Airport, the Big Almaty Ring Road (BAKAD) implemented in syndication with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Islamic Development Bank, street lighting networks in Atyrau, solar and wind power plants, and the expansion and modernisation of Kazakhstan’s largest air hub – Almaty International Airport – in collaboration with the EBRD, the IFC and DEG. All of these projects deliver significant social and economic benefits, including job creation, new logistics routes, reduced traffic accidents, optimised energy use and contributions to decarbonisation.

As part of its 2022–2026 Strategy, the EDB is implementing three mega-projects:

• The Eurasian Transport Network, including the international North–South and Europe–Western China transport corridors, which will open up new opportunities for freight transport and enhance the comfort of long-distance travel;
• The Eurasian Agricultural Goods Distribution System, aimed at creating a network of state-of-the-art warehouses through flexible financing models for developers in the Bank’s member countries; and
• The Central Asian Water-Energy Complex of Central Asia, focused on providing the region with additional energy and advancing water-saving technologies.

Link to the website: https://eabr.org/