Balkan countries delegation visits Astana International Financial Centre

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM The 1st Business Networking Summit business forum was held today with the participation of ex-President of Croatia Stjepan Mesić, Mayor of Sarajevo Abdulah Skaka, President of the Chamber of Commerce of Bosnia and Herzegovina Nemanja Vasić and representatives of the business community of Balkan countries at the Astana International Financial Centre, the AIFC press service informs.

From the Kazakhstan side, representatives of the AIFC, Direct Investment Fund, Atameken National Entrepreneurs Chamber and Kazakh Invest took part in the business forum.AIFC representatives also introduced the guests to the activities of the financial centre, its bodies and organizations, such as the AIFC Court, the International Arbitration Centre, the Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA), Astana International Exchange (AIX), and the Expat Centre.More than 280 companies from 29 countries are already registered in the jurisdiction of the AIFC and, as noted during the forum, there is interest from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The ex-President of Croatia, now a political activist and honorary citizen of the city of Sarajevo, Stjepan Mesić, noted the importance of having a judicial system and arbitration, operating in accordance with international standards.«It is obviously easier for business to operate and function in a financial centre, where there is an independent Court and the International Arbitration Centre,» he said.

The delegation, mainly consisting of business circles of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and representing such sectors as agriculture, industry, transport, were presented with the key directions of the AIFC development - Islamic finance, financial technology, green finance.The forum also presented the opportunities and prospects of Atameken NEC, Direct Investment Fund and Kazakh Invest.

Reference: AIFC. The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) was created on the initiative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. The constitutional law on the establishment of the AIFC was signed by the Head of State on December 7, 2015. AIFC's goal is to form a leading centre of financial services at the international level. The AIFC aims to assist in attracting investment in the country's economy, create an attractive environment for investing in financial services, develop the securities market of the Republic of Kazakhstan and ensure its integration with international capital markets.www.aifc.kz