BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 4. France has called on
the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to step up its support for the
most vulnerable countries amid rising global conflicts and
instability in energy markets, Antoine Bergerot, France’s Acting
Deputy Governor at the ADB, said at the ADB’s annual meeting in
Samarkand (Uzbekistan), Trend reports.


He noted that against the backdrop of an international situation
characterized by a growing number of conflicts with serious
humanitarian, social, and economic consequences, multilateral
institutions such as the ADB play a key role by combining emergency
response measures with the strengthening of long-term
sustainability, particularly in support of the most vulnerable and
conflict-affected countries.


"France welcomes the Bank’s swift and flexible response to the
consequences of the current crisis in the Middle East and urges the
ADB to remain fully mobilized to support the most vulnerable member
countries. In a context of high volatility, rising energy prices,
and pressure on external financing, it is essential that the ADB
deploy the full range of countercyclical instruments. France
particularly welcomes the recent introduction of the Rapid
Reprogramming Option, which is an important step in enhancing the
Bank’s flexibility and responsiveness in times of crisis.


The country also supports the temporary adaptation of existing
instruments, including the possible resumption of trade finance
programs to ensure the import of vital energy resources under
exceptional circumstances. “In addition, France calls for enhanced
coordination of diagnostic and support packages among multilateral
development banks (MDBs) to maximize the effective use of
resources, and underscores the ADB’s special responsibility as
chair of the MDB Leaders’ Group this year,” Bergerot said.


According to him, at the same time, France emphasizes the
importance of maintaining alignment with the ADB’s long-term
strategic objectives, particularly in supporting the energy
transition and sustainability. “Where possible, emergency support
measures should also contribute to the development of sustainable
infrastructure and energy systems, so that short-term solutions
simultaneously contribute to achieving long-term development and
sustainability goals,” he said.







In addition, Bergerot noted that the current crisis underscores
the need for the ADB to continue supporting member countries’
efforts to transition away from fossil fuels and manage energy
market volatility in a manner that promotes overall sustainability.
"The country calls for continued support for decarbonized energy
sources and reaffirms its support for the Bank’s involvement in
assisting states wishing to develop civil nuclear energy. France
also calls on the ADB to step up efforts to assist countries in
developing long-term transition strategies that align national
measures with donor support, while providing the necessary policy
and technical support in the short term to reduce dependence on
fossil fuels, taking into account economic growth and development
objectives," he said.


Bergerot added that in this context, France calls on the bank to
continue its efforts to become the “region’s climate bank”: “This
slogan must be backed by concrete and targeted actions that meet
the region’s needs while simultaneously promoting development,
climate change mitigation, adaptation, and overall sustainability.
The country calls on the ADB to consistently uphold these
commitments in accordance with the Paris Agreement.”


“Noting the bank’s heightened climate ambitions, including its
goal of increasing the share of climate finance to 50% of total
commitments by 2030, France congratulates the ADB on achieving
record levels of climate finance in 2025,” he said.