In his other capacity of Alternate Governor for San Marino to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Consul Bragagni headed the delegation from San Marino participating in the EBRD 33rd Annual Meeting and Business Forum, held in Yerevan, Armenia, from 14-16 May 2024.
This year, the annual meeting was organised under the broad theme of “Delivering Impact Together” and served as a global platform for discussions on how to help economies adapt and thrive in an ever-changing world. The programme included high-level discussions, panels, and speakers addressing pivotal global topics, from fintech and cybersecurity to sustainable infrastructure and economic inclusion.
The delegation from San Marino attended various sideline meetings where a range of topics were discussed, such as the importance of regional connectivity and value chains; fintech, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity; energy security and renewables; the challenges caused by the war in Ukraine; digitalisation in emerging markets; and financial inclusion. Also, governors deliberated on EBRD’s next “roadmap” – the Strategic and Capital Framework(SCF), which will set out its priorities for the period 2026-30.
During the plenary session, Alternate Governor Bragagni made a statement where he praised the host country, Armenia, for the organisation and hospitality shown to all the delegates, congratulated President Odile Renaud-Basso for the re-election, and expressed San Marino views on EBRD’s programme of work and SCF. He offered San Marino’s support in exercising the EBRD mandate, especially regarding expanding the democratic values and supporting the transition to “green economies”.
On the sidelines of the EBRD meeting, Alternate Governor Bragagni held two bilateral meetings.
During the meeting with Mr. Eduard Hakobyan, Deputy Minister for Finance and EBRD Alternate Governor of Armenia, which was conducted in an amicable atmosphere, both counterparts expressed readiness to strengthen bilateral cooperation and help businesses of both countries, among other things by initiating the process of concluding bilateral economic agreements in the fields of avoiding double taxation and the promotion and protection of investments.
The meeting with Mr Kazuhiko Koguchi – Secretary General of the EBRD, was another successful meeting. Alternate Governor Bragagni expressed the sincere thanks of the Government of San Marino to the EBRD, for their recent visit to San Marino, which paved the way for the materialisation of the Bank’s support to the Sammarinese business community. He also noted that the current expansion of the Bank to sub-Saharan Africa aligns with the broad interest of San Marino to support the expansion of democratic values and principles of a free market economy.
Mr. Koguchi conveyed the Bank’s steadfast support for San Marino and expressed satisfaction with the recent increase in cooperation. He emphasised the EBRD’s commitment to standing alongside San Marino in defending democratic values and promoting economic growth.
