On July 12 and 13, 2019, Luxembourg hosted the first annual meeting of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) outside Asia with the participation of governors, directors and delegates from 97 member countries, as well as more than 1,000 participants from Luxembourg and around the world.
The official opening ceremony took place on July 12, 2019 at the Philharmonie du Luxembourg. On this occasion, HRH the Grand Duke, Jin Liqun, President of the AIIB, Xavier Bettel, Prime Minister, and Pierre Gramegna, Minister of Finance, delivered opening speeches. The president of the Chamber of Deputies, Fernand Etgen, was also present.
Luxembourg is one of the founding members of the European Union and a major international financial center. It is also the first non-Asian country to join the AIIB as a founding member in 2015. The 2019 Annual Meeting is under the theme “Cooperation and Connectivity” in order to focus on the social and economic benefits that can be achieved through better connectivity between countries and regions, including Europe and Asia.
“This 4th annual meeting of the AIIB is an opportunity for Luxembourg to play its natural role of bridge and connection platform located in the heart of Europe by bringing together European and Asian stakeholders, which will support development Innovative and sustainable solutions in the field of infrastructure financing, “said Pierre Gramegna.
The roundtables and high-level conferences of the 2019 Annual Assembly focused on the benefits of enhanced digital cooperation and connectivity between Asia and Europe. The annual meeting was an exceptional opportunity to present Luxembourg’s expertise in the field of digital connectivity, the circular economy and finance. The seminars focused on gender equality for sustainable infrastructure, governance in cybersecurity, mobilization of funds for the circular economy, as well as improving governance and environmental and social performance in infrastructure financing. .
The Asian Infrastructure Forum (AIF) also took place during the 2019 Annual Meeting of the AIIB. The AIF is a business development forum aimed at creating links and developing project pools. This year’s edition included interactive workshops on private equity investments, financing of energy related projects, and the principles and practices of the AIIB related to procurement.