Strengthening Economic Partnership: ECA at the Dushanbe International Investment Forum
The Deputy Chairman of the Board of JSC “Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan” (hereinafter – ECA), Aybol Balkin, participated in the Dushanbe International Investment Forum. The delegation also included ECA’s Regional Director in the Republic of Tajikistan, Ramesh Khudoiev, and Regional Manager Nasimdzhon Hakimdzhonzoda.
The large-scale event attracted over 1,000 delegates from more than 30 countries, including representatives of international and regional financial institutions, as well as specialized organizations. The forum served as a key platform for substantive discussions and deepening constructive interaction between government bodies and business communities of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Tajikistan.
The main agenda focused on unlocking and realizing multi-faceted trade, economic, and investment potential, as well as expanding cooperative ties in priority sectors: industry, agro-industrial complex, financial sector, tourism, and other areas, with a particular emphasis on developing the principles of the “green economy.”
During the forum, Aybol Balkin held a series of bilateral meetings. In particular, during negotiations with the Director of the Agency for State Material Reserves under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, Nurmakhmad Akhmedov, the possibilities of supplying Kazakh fuel oil, vegetable oil, and wheat flour were discussed. To ensure the security and stability of these transactions, ECA expressed its readiness to consider its exporter clients for participation in the supplies and proposed the use of a short-term receivables insurance instrument. This product is aimed at minimizing commercial risks for Kazakh exporters.
Aybol Balkin also met with the management of Freedom Bank Tajikistan. The discussions focused on mechanisms for using ECA instruments to facilitate and finance Tajik buyers of Kazakh products. The parties emphasized the importance of implementing the provisions of the cooperation memorandum signed earlier this year.
Aybol Balkin highlighted the steady growth of exports of domestic goods and services to the Republic of Tajikistan. It was noted that, as of 2025, the total volume of Kazakh exports reached 58 billion tenge. The core of the export nomenclature consists of food industry products, agro-industrial goods, metallurgical products, as well as high-tech deep-processed products, including petrochemical products.
“Tajikistan has traditionally been among the leading partners for export contracts in the portfolio of the Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan. Based on previously achieved strategic agreements with Tajik financial institutions, we are gradually expanding our partnership in the areas of insurance and trade finance of Kazakh goods and services. All the necessary macroeconomic and institutional prerequisites exist for further significant volume growth. ECA adheres to an individualized approach for each market, carefully analyzing regional demand for specific types of products and services,” said ECA Deputy Chairman Aybol Balkin.
The forum also featured specialized panel sessions on digitalization and the implementation of artificial intelligence in public and corporate governance. The Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan presented its partners with the digital platform “Exporter’s Personal Account” – an innovative service that allows real-time monitoring of application status, significantly enhancing the efficiency and transparency of export business processes.
At the end of the forum, participants noted the high level of organization and expressed confidence that the agreements reached will serve as a solid foundation for the comprehensive development of bilateral cooperation between Kazakhstan and Tajikistan, contributing to the strengthening of economic integration and the promotion of joint initiatives.
The next Dushanbe International Investment Forum is scheduled for 2027.
It should be recalled that since 2019, ECA has maintained an overseas representative office in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The office’s activities are aimed at facilitating direct interaction between Tajik importers and Kazakh exporters, as well as expanding foreign trade turnover through the use of ECA financial instruments.
