Central and Eastern Asia Regional Office

Central and Eastern Asia encompasses two subregions of the Asian continent: Central Asia, which stretches from the Caspian Sea to Mongolia, and Eastern Asia, which extends eastward to southern China. A vast territory, Central and Eastern Asia spans a diversity of geographic, political and economic situations. It also faces multiple climate and social challenges.

Strategy

AFD opened its Central and Eastern Asia Regional Office in January 2025. In this region, the AFD Group supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the protection of global public goods across four countries: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, China, and Mongolia.

In China, AFD operates through a partnership with the Chinese authorities to develop cooperation initiatives for biodiversity conservation and climate action. These projects are financed by loans on market terms that do not mobilize French State resources. Since 2004, AFD has financed 48 projects in China, totaling €2.2 billion.

Since 2015, AFD has been supporting Uzbekistan in the fields of economic and political governance, urban development, energy transition and sustainable land management. Since 2016, AFD has financed 18 projects with a total commitment of €1.3 billion.

As both China and Uzbekistan face significant climate challenges, energy efficiency and district heating projects in China can inform innovative approaches for future projects in Uzbekistan.

The AFD Group’s operations in Mongolia and Kazakhstan are more recent. In Kazakhstan, AFD opened its office in Astana at the end of 2024. Its first activities were in the health and water sectors. It is also actively prospecting for opportunities in the transport, energy, agriculture and digital sectors.

In Mongolia, the AFD Group does not have a representation office and AFD has not yet signed any operations, pending the signing of an intergovernmental agreement between authorities. However, Proparco has been operating in Mongolia since 2009 with a mandate focused on sustainable development and green and inclusive growth. In 2025, six projects were financed, for a total of €63 million, in the agribusiness, renewable energy and banking intermediation sectors.