The Eurasian Development Bank became a co-organizer of the Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF) webinar on the development of public-private partnerships.

Beijing, China, May 13, 2026 - The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) acted as a co-organizer of the Multi-Country Collaboration Platform (MCDF) webinar from the "Public-Private Partnership Hot Topics" series, which has been held for the third consecutive year. The webinar on May 13 focused on capacity building for the development of PPP projects.

Other co-organizers included the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank, the Ministry of Finance of Egypt, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility of the World Bank (PPIAF), and the World Association of PPP Units and Professionals (WAPPP).

EDB's experience in PPP capacity building was presented by Vera Barkatina, Head of the Technical Assistance Coordination Office. The Bank's approach is based on integrating institutional development, practice-oriented learning, analytical work, and investment project preparation within a unified PPP development model.

This model was developed and implemented at EDB by Svetlana Maslova, Director for Public-Private Partnership Projects, through the preparation and implementation of technical assistance projects aimed at strengthening the PPP institutional environment in Central Asian countries and the Republic of Armenia during 2022-2026.

The presentation highlighted EDB's approaches to strengthening PPP institutional infrastructure, introducing practice-oriented educational programs and "learning by doing" models, preparing applied analytical studies and country PPP reviews, as well as developing local expert communities through international certification, university partnerships, and support programs for young professionals.

Special attention was given to EDB's approach to adapting PPP capacity-building projects to the specific characteristics of individual countries and the maturity levels of national PPP markets. In particular, in the Republic of Armenia, the focus was placed on a comprehensive diagnostic assessment of the institutional environment and the preparation of a Country PPP Review, which subsequently became one of the factors contributing to discussions on establishing a dedicated PPP Center in Armenia.

In Kazakhstan, which has a more mature PPP infrastructure, the Bank focused on improving the quality of PPP structuring and implementation through the preparation of a "White Book" containing practical recommendations on project bankability, risk allocation, and enhancement of PPP implementation mechanisms.

Particular attention was also devoted to EDB projects in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, where PPP capacity-building initiatives evolved into the preparation of specific infrastructure projects in the fields of waste management, circular economy, and logistics. It was emphasized that EDB views technical assistance not only as an instrument for preparing individual feasibility studies, but also as a mechanism for building an investment pipeline, reducing project preparation risks, and strengthening the institutional environment necessary for attracting long-term investments.

Presentations by other speakers, including representatives of PPIAF, WAPPP, and national PPP centers, focused on specialist training, knowledge exchange, the development of national PPP learning systems, and international Certified PPP Professional certification initiatives.