Financial leaders from around 90 countries concluded discussions at Astana Finance Days, focusing on developing Central Asian financial markets. The event attracted over 8,000 participants with €22 trillion in assets under management, marking significant growth since last year’s gathering of 5,500 attendees. Key topics included capital market development and regulatory cooperation, culminating in concrete agreements such as the launch of carbon credit trading on Astana International Exchange and new partnerships between financial services authorities in Kazakhstan and Georgia.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Around 8,000 participants from 90 countries, including representatives of major global financial institutions and asset managers with more than €22 trillion under their control wrap up their sessions in Astana Finance Days with discussion about further development of Central Asian financial markets.
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participants → include → markets
The Astana Finance Days is the traditional gathering of financial institutions, experts, corporate representatives and regulators who discuss financial arrangements, environment and business possibilities in the region of Central Asia.
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who → discuss → Asia
It is organised by the Astana International Financial Centre.
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It → organise → Centre
The Forum has been growing each year.
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Forum → grow → ?
Last year it had 5,500 participants from 82 countries.
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it → have → countries
The forum's program put emphasis on capital markets and investment products, regulation and the legal environment, regional and cross-border cooperation.
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program → put → markets
"Today, competition for capital requires not only attractive conditions but also the ability to transform opportunities into real projects and investments.
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competition → require → projects
This is the essence of Astana Finance Days 2026—Delivering Impact.
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This → deliver → Impact
We bring together investors, regulators, and businesses to transform ideas into practical solutions, investment projects, and long-term partnerships," noted Renat Bekturov, Governor of the AIFC.
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Bekturov → bring → AIFC
The first day of the forum brought discussion about sovereign and institutional capital, financial infrastructure, tokenisation and the transformation of global finance.
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day → bring → finance
It helps attract investment to newly established and developing mining companies.
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It → help → established
The working group has selected 23 projects to be presented to investors from Oman, the United Kingdom, China and other countries.
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group → select → Oman
The second day brought some of the concrete agreements and solutions.
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day → bring → agreements
The Astana stock exchange (Astana International Exchange - AIX) launched trading in voluntary carbon credits verified under the international Verified Carbon Standard (VCS).
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exchange → launch → Standard
By doing so, it became the first exchange in Central Asia to provide its own infrastructure for trading voluntary carbon credits.
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it → do → credits
London-based Valor Carbon became the first supplier.
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Carbon → base → ?
A number of memoranda of understanding were signed related to regional regulatory cooperation and new digital instruments.
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number → sign → cooperation
The Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Bank of Georgia on mutual access and recognition in financial services and the stock exchanges of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan agreed to strengthen cooperation and cross engagement in their respective capital markets.
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exchanges → sign → markets
On the margins of the summit journalists heard interesting opinions of decision-makers that hint the direction of the Kazakhstan’s and regional capital market development.
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that → hear → development
Timur Suleimenov, the Governor of the National Bank of Kazakhstan said he believed the country should move away from strictly bank-centric financial system, in which banks account for at least 80% of the financial sector.
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banks → say → sector
He said brokers, dealers, insurance companies and the stock market as a whole should roughly double their share of the financial system, from the current 20% to 40% over time.
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brokers → say → time
“In other words, if banks are active, then the economy exists, and funding for the economy exists.
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funding → exist → economy
If banks have problems, then we have no other source,” he told reporters when asked about his earlier remarks that he wanted to reduce Kazakhstan’s reliance on banks.
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he → have → banks
In his opinion, the present system is “neither good nor bad” and replicates the ones existing in other countries, especially those with civil-law systems and transition economies.
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system → replicate → systems
However, he would prefer Kazakhstan gradually changed that structure.
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Kazakhstan → prefer → structure
”We now want to gradually and intelligently move away from the situation where we have 80% — let it be 60%, and the rest will be the securities market.
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rest → want → %
Time will tell, but it’s crucial that we attract all available funding sources for the development of the real sector and not be bank-centric,» Suleimenov said.
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Suleimenov → tell → sector
The Astana Finance Days also hosted talks about sustainable aviation fuels and cooperation deals.
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Days → host → fuels
One of those is that an airline company from Kazakhstan secured a leasing agreement with an American lessor.
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company → secure → lessor
AFD provided a spacious B2B platform and, as a special treat, a performance of the renowned Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen.
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AFD → provide → singer
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