NUR-SULTAN – Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) Governor Kairat Kelimbetov and an AIFC delegation met June 18 with the executives of Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) and more than 30 Chinese investment funds and brokers in Shanghai to present investment opportunities in Kazakhstan.
“The AIFC was created as a regional financial hub, to connect investors with promising projects that require financing to realise their full potential. The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a clear and important priority for us. Another, equally promising opportunity lay with mid-cap companies in Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Georgia and other countries in the region that are eager to engage with Chinese investors, and we are helping to bring them together,” said the AIFC governor.
AIFC Governor Kairat Kelimbetov.
The SSE is one of the primary shareholders of the Astana International Exchange (AIX) and was involved in the development of the AIFC as the regional financial services hub of the Belt and Road Initiative.
The presentation was focused on investment opportunities with projects within the BRI, as well as with fast-growing mid-cap companies in countries of Central Eurasia.
Executive Vice President of the SSE Shaotong Liu congratulated the Kazakh party on its progress since the opening of the AIX.
More Chinese brokers have begun conducting business in Kazakhstan. The SSE management highlighted that it will build even closer cooperation with the AIFC and continue to work with the relevant parties.
AIFC and AIX seek to provide market-oriented, diversified and sustainable investment and financing solutions as well as comprehensive investment protection for BRI projects in Kazakhstan, Central Asia and Eurasia.
In 2018-2019, AIFC has held road shows targeting fast-growing mid-size companies in the region. Presentations were conducted in more than 10 cities of Russia, Belarus and Georgia. Representatives of more than 450 companies attended the events. During the road shows, the AIFC and its stock exchange provided the companies how-to information on listing requirements and procedures, and more than 40 of them signed letters of intent to pursue investment opportunities at the financial centre.
