- EBRD President to visit Türkiye
- Odile Renaud-Basso to hold meetings in Ankara and Istanbul
- Visit follows the release of the Bank’s new country strategy for Türkiye
Odile Renaud-Basso, President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), is set to visit Türkiye from 24 to 28 November, with meetings scheduled in Ankara and Istanbul.
The four-day visit will include meetings with representatives of the private sector, civil society organisations (CSOs) and government officials, and comes at a time of economic turnaround in the country.
The Bank’s Regional Economic Prospects report, which was released in September, highlighted recent policy changes in Türkiye as factors that had helped to improve investor confidence.
While in Ankara, Renaud-Basso will meet key ministers in relation to the Bank’s agenda in the country. She will also attend the launch of the Türkiye Industrial Decarbonisation Investment Platform (TIDIP), an initiative supported by the EBRD, which is aiming to deploy US$ 5 billion of investment by 2030. Multilateral banks recently released a joint statement on country platforms, reaffirming their joint support for efforts to foster collaboration between host countries, MDBs, donors, and the private sector.
Renaud-Basso will also hold discussions with Fatih Karahan, Governor of the Central Bank of the Republic of Türkiye.
In addition to her busy itinerary in Ankara, the EBRD President will also attend a project ceremony in Istanbul, where she will meet the Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu. The ceremony will celebrate the Bank’s partnership with the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality on expanding career opportunities for women in green technologies.
The EBRD President will also hold talks with diplomatic officials and representatives of other international financial institutions. The Bank is also expected to announce a number of new projects during the visit, including projects aimed at supporting economic recovery following the devastating earthquakes last year.
Renaud-Basso said: “Türkiye has long been a key partner of the EBRD, and our shared commitment to sustainable development and economic resilience continues to strengthen. This visit reaffirms our dedication to supporting Türkiye’s vision for inclusive growth, innovation and a greener future. I look forward to engaging in productive meetings with our Turkish partners as we explore new opportunities to drive progress together.”
In 2023, the EBRD invested a record €2.5 billion in the country, driven by the Bank’s strong response to the recovery and reconstruction needs of earthquake-affected cities.
Recently, the Bank released its new Türkiye Country Strategy 2024-29, identifying four priorities for the country over the next five years: the green transition, the development of human capital, boosting competitiveness and investment in infrastructure.
The EBRD is one of Türkiye’s largest investors, with more than €21 billion committed through 461 projects and trade finance limits since 2009, most of it in the private sector.