December 2, 2019
Statement by Mr. ASO Taro, Minister of Finance, Japan
The Asian Development Bank made an announcement today that Mr. ASAKAWA Masatsugu, currently in the position of Special Advisor to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance of Japan, was unanimously elected as its President.
Having served as Executive Assistant to the then Prime Minister Aso and across a number of areas within the Ministry of Finance, including as Director-General of the International Bureau and Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, Mr. Asakawa played an instrumental role to the success of the G20 under the Japanese presidency. In addition, he has had working experiences with international organizations, firstly as Chief Advisor to President at ADB in his early years, and secondly at the International Monetary Fund. Furthermore, as the first Asian Chair for OECD Committee on Fiscal Affairs, he spearheaded the BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) project successfully. All this has allowed him to garner extensive experiences in such areas as international finance, development assistance and international taxation. During his long service at the Ministry, he has fostered close relationships with the authorities of countries in the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, as well as with the senior management of various International Organizations. I am convinced that the election of Mr. Asakawa to the position of ADB President is a testament to the high appreciation by the ADB Members for what he has achieved throughout his professional career.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all ADB Members for extending support to Mr. Asakawa’s candidacy. Going forward, I wish Mr. Asakawa the very best in his next endeavor as ADB President, drawing on his rich and extensive experience that cuts across international finance, development assistance and international taxation.