DUSHANBE, December 1, 2012, Asia-Plus  -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) appointed C. C. Yu as the new Country Director for Tajikistan, effective November 29, 2012, press release issued by the AB Tajikistan Resident Mission (TJRM) said.

“I am very excited and privileged to be here,” said Mr. Yu.  “ADB has enjoyed a very good partnership with Tajikistan, and I look forward to working with the government, civil society, and other development partners and stakeholders to ensure ADB’s support for accelerating poverty reduction and promoting sustainable and inclusive economic growth.”

Mr. Yu will be responsible for delivering ADB’s development assistance program to Tajikistan, focusing on improving energy and transport infrastructure, facilitating reforms, and helping the country cultivate an environment conducive to private sector development.

Mr. Yu, a Canadian national with a PhD in geography and planning from the University of Toronto, has been with ADB since 2000.  He has around 20 years of professional experience in results-based management, project and sector evaluation, project processing, and environmental safeguards.

Before joining the Tajikistan Resident Mission, Mr. Yu worked as a Principal Results Management Specialist at ADB’s Strategy and Policy Department, supporting the bank’s efforts to improve its results delivery with its country partnership strategies.

Tajikistan joined ADB in 1998, and to date the institution has cumulatively approved a total assistance of over $966 million in concessional loans, grants and technical assistance to the country. ADB’s operations benefit the population by reducing isolation, increasing communication, broadening access to electricity, improving social services, and creating more income-generating opportunities.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region. In 2011, ADB approvals including cofinancing totaled $21.7 billion.