ADB on Myanmar aid: 'Understand strengths and weaknesses'

Myanmar is only just starting to open up to international cooperation after half a century of military rule and isolation. How should foreign donors and their implementing partners approach the country, which is struggling to handle the recent huge influx of development assistance?

It’s all about understanding the strengths and weaknesses of such a challenging environment, says Stephen Groff, vice president for operations at the Asian Development Bank, who sat down with Devex President and Editor-in-Chief Raj Kumar for a video interview on the sidelines of Devex’s first Partnerships & Careers Forum in Manila this week.

Groff compared Myanmar’s situation to that of the Philippines, where local capacity is much higher but where international expertise is still needed in some areas.

Check out the below clip for more insights from the ADB senior official on how the Manila-based institution views the future of development cooperation — and its own role — in Myanmar:

View our full video interview with ADB’s Stephen Groff.

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