The Spring Meeting of the Berne Union is being held in Astana

The Spring Meeting of the Berne Union, the largest international association of export credit and investment insurers, has begun in the capital of Kazakhstan. A forum of this scale is being held in the Central Asian region for the first time.

About 240 delegates from more than 70 countries of the world take part in the work of the prestigious international platform. Heads of leading export credit agencies, eximbanks, international financial institutions and global insurance corporations arrived in Astana.

The opening ceremony of the plenary session was attended by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov.

"The head of our state constantly pays special attention to improving the business climate. Today, Kazakhstan, as the largest economy in the Central Asian region, continues the structural transformation of the national economy. Foreign direct investment increased by 14.4% and amounted to $20.5 billion, while investment in fixed assets increased by 13% and reached a historic $43.5 billion. Today, our goods are exported to 127 countries of the world, and the list of active commodity items has approached 4 thousand items.", the prime minister said, opening the meeting.

President of the Berne Union Yuichiro Akita noted the importance of holding the forum in Kazakhstan and emphasized the role of international trade in the face of global uncertainty.

"It is a great honor for me to welcome those present on behalf of the union here in Astana. We are very grateful for the strong support that the Government of Kazakhstan is providing to us in hosting this event. Kazakhstan and Central Asia are a region where a variety of civilizations have crossed over the centuries along the Silk Road route. I think traders were already thinking about risks and uncertainty even then. When we look at this great story, we are reminded of the importance of trading.", Akita said.

In his speech, Rustam Karagoishin, Chairman of the Management Board of Baiterek National Investment Holding JSC, emphasized the transformation of the role of export credit agencies in the modern world economy.

"We live in an era when uncertainty has become the new standard: supply chains are transforming, new centers of attraction for investment are emerging, competition for markets and technologies is intensifying. Under these conditions, the role of export credit agencies has long gone beyond insurance. Today, you are institutions that create confidence: to invest, export and implement long-term projects. In fact, we are all shaping a sustainable and predictable future for global trade and investment," - emphasized the head of the holding.

According to him, only partnership and trust make it possible to launch new industries, infrastructure projects and export areas.

«Today, Baiterek is undergoing a stage of deep transformation. We are moving to the model of a proactive investment holding – from responding to projects to shaping them. Together with the Government of Kazakhstan, a pool totaling about $170 billion has been formed until 2032. In our time, the concept of economic diversification has become mainstream. But for Kazakhstan and the holding, this is not just about following trends, but about making a conscious choice, we focus on creating conditions for sustainable business development and its long-term growth. And here the role of the members of the Berne Union becomes especially significant. The implementation of major projects today is impossible without international cooperation - the supply of equipment, technology transfer and the participation of foreign investors", Rustam Karagoishin explained.

Within the framework of the session, strategic agreements were concluded between the Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan and the largest international financial institutions - Türk Eximbank, Saudi EXIM Bank, BAEZ and ASHRA. The signed documents are aimed at developing mechanisms for mutual reinsurance of export risks, co-financing investment projects, as well as promoting Kazakhstan's non-resource exports to the markets of the Middle East and Europe.

Also within the framework of the business program, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Baiterek Holding Timur Onzhanov spoke at the panel session "Round Table on Investments and Strategy: CEOs in Central Asia", dedicated to investment cooperation, sustainable growth and trade development in the region.

During the discussion, Timur Onzhanov noted that the most promising areas for international financing in Kazakhstan today are infrastructure and logistics, energy, manufacturing, projects in the field of critical minerals and agro-processing. Particular attention was paid to the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, modernization of energy infrastructure, localization of production with export potential, as well as mechanisms of state support and attraction of international financing.

In addition, the management of Baiterek Holding held a number of bilateral meetings with representatives of international financial and export credit institutions, including the Islamic Investment Insurance and Export Credit Corporation (ICIEC), TurkExim and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency of the World Bank (MIGA). During the talks, issues of development of joint projects, insurance of export operations, attraction of investments and expansion of international cooperation were discussed.

Khalid Khalafalla, Chief Executive Officer of the Islamic Corporation for Insurance of Investment and Export Credits, also shared his opinion on the prospects for cooperation with Kazakhstan.

"We see a great involvement of Kazakhstan, as a country with a growing economy, not only in Central Asia, but also at the global level. We have been cooperating for a long time - the trade turnover between ICEK and Kazakhstan is $12 billion. It is worth noting the opening of the regional office of the International Development Bank in Almaty. This shows the presence of this organization in Kazakhstan and emphasizes the importance of your country's participation in international cooperation.""Halafalla said.

The spring meeting of the Berne Union is being held in Astana from May 11 to 15. The programme includes plenary and panel sessions, meetings of relevant committees, as well as discussions on global trade, export finance, investment cooperation and sustainable development.