ASTANA – The Astana Finance Days (AFD) 2026: Delivering Impact. Capital in Action concluded with a series of agreements and new financial instruments to strengthen regional financial cooperation, sustainable finance, digital assets, aviation finance and access to capital.
Photo credit: AFD
Held on Sept. 9-10, the forum brought together 8,000 participants from 90 countries, including representatives of major global financial institutions and asset managers collectively managing more than $26 trillion. The forum also featured renowned Kazakh singer Dimash Qudaibergen.
Expanding regional financial cooperation
Several agreements signed during the forum focused on regulatory cooperation and improving cross-border access to financial markets.
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. The agreement establishes a framework for closer regulatory cooperation between the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and Georgian financial markets in selected areas.
AFSA also signed an MoU with the Croatian Financial Services Supervisory Agency (HANFA) to strengthen regulatory cooperation and further develop cooperation between the two authorities.
The agreements complement discussions held during the forum on reducing fragmentation between regional financial markets and facilitating cross-border capital flows.
The Astana International Exchange (AIX) and the Kyrgyz Stock Exchange (KSE) also agreed to strengthen cooperation and engagement between Kazakhstan’s and the Kyrgyz Republic’s capital markets.
New instruments for sustainable finance
A major development on the second day was AIX’s launch of trading in voluntary carbon credits verified under the international Verified Carbon Standard (VCS).
AIX became the first exchange in Central Asia to provide its own infrastructure for trading voluntary carbon credits. London-based Valor Carbon became the first supplier, with Standard International Market, an AIX broker and Trading Member, facilitating transactions.
The new exchange-based model is designed to provide transparent trading rules and market-based price discovery for carbon credits, creating an additional mechanism for climate projects in the region to access financing.
The initiative builds on the AIFC Carbon Platform and expands AIX’s environmental products, following the earlier introduction of I-REC renewable energy certificates.
The forum also advanced cooperation in sustainable finance through agreements involving the AIFC Green Finance Center, First Carbon Group, Green Investment Group and HYT-CAPITAL. The agreements aim to support sustainable projects, develop financial instruments and attract investment through capital markets in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
Aviation and digital assets
Aviation finance was another area where discussions moved toward practical cooperation. The AIFC and Development Bank of Kazakhstan agreed to cooperate on projects related to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The forum also highlighted the development of Kazakhstan’s aviation finance ecosystem. Jupiter Jet completed its first aircraft leasing transaction with an American lessor with support from the AIFC Aviation Finance Hub.
Digital finance and tokenization featured prominently throughout AFD 2026. Tech Hub Ltd. and ōzen signed a framework cooperation agreement to develop a music royalty tokenization platform in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
Other agreements involving CodeCoin Tech Ltd., Delta DA Ltd. and Altyn Bank focused on cross-border financial services, fintech, asset management, trade finance and payment infrastructure.
From discussion to implementation
The agreements signed at AFD 2026 reflect the forum’s broader focus on turning investment opportunities into practical projects and market infrastructure.
The first day centered on sovereign and institutional capital, financial infrastructure, tokenization and the transformation of global finance. The program also included the launch of the AIFC Junior Mining Platform’s investor activities, with 23 early-stage mining projects presented to potential investors.
On the second day, the focus shifted further toward implementation – from carbon-credit trading and aviation finance to regional regulatory cooperation and new digital instruments.
As AIFC Governor Renat Bekturov said at the opening of the forum, competition for capital increasingly depends on the ability to transform opportunities into real projects and investments.
AIFC Governor Renat Bekturov. Photo credit: AFD
Against this backdrop, the agreements and market initiatives announced during AFD 2026 demonstrate the AIFC’s efforts to position Astana as a platform connecting international capital with investment opportunities in Kazakhstan and across Central Asia.
