Over the past year or so, the ADB and the AIM have undertaken discussions on closer cooperation between the two organizations. The ADB, as a multilateral development finance institution, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific. The AIM, as a pioneer graduate school of business, is committed toward sustaining the growth of Asian societies by developing professional and socially responsible leaders and managers. Clearly, both organizations have been, for more than three decades, devoted to promoting progress in the Asian region.

There is a fundamental importance for growing Asian economies. Asia is the fastest growing region in the world. The ADB expects Asia to grow by 6.2 percent in 2004 and 6.3 percent in 2005. Asia has lived up to its tremendous potential and richness, and yet it is still a region of immense poverty and injustice.

To help reduce poverty, foster leadership, and improve the delivery of service in Asian developing countries, many areas of cooperation have been conducted between ADB and AIM. For about 15 years now, the ADB has been providing scholarships to deserving AIM students who hail from ADB developing member countries. Two years ago, the ADB funded a Top Development Management Course which AIM designed especially for the government agencies of Indonesia. And just last December, the AIM faculty, myself included, administered the Advanced Executive Development Program to top government officials from the six countries of the Greater Mekong Subregion. The program was in fulfillment of ADB’s GMS Phnom Penh Plan for Development Management.

However, going beyond the scholarships and customized programs, it was felt that the presence of the ADB right here in the Philippines and the existence of AIM as a recognized, world-class academic institution are important elements in a synergistic relationship and in laying the foundation for capacity building, initiating public and private sector reforms, and joint activities such as seminars and research.

Now at last we are able to formalize this relationship with the launching of the ADB-AIM Networking Project through this inaugural conference. The ADB-AIM Networking Project will make use of the mutual expertise of AIM and ADB in the capacity-building and operational activities of developing member countries. The project will cover joint activities such as seminars, workshops, and publications; public and private sector reforms; reforms in the banking sector and financial management; and exchange of data, selected research documents, and publications.

It is our hope that this new and continuing collaboration will deepen our understanding of current issues, suggest policies, and benefit decision-makers in the private and public sectors.

We expect that the first ADB-AIM Networking Conference will be a very fruitful experience for all and the beginning of a strong partnership between two of the institutions that are most committed to Asia. Thank you.

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