Astana will host a meeting of the Berne Union for the first time
From October 21 to 24, the Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan (ECA) took part in the Berne Union Annual General Meeting 2025, held in Ottawa, Canada. The event brought together more than 200 financial experts, representatives of leading export credit agencies and Eximbanks, international financial institutions, and private insurance companies from around the world.
As part of a rich business program, the Kazakh delegation participated in the Berne Union plenary session, working sessions of the Export Credit Agency Committee, and meetings of the Prague Club, of which Kazakhstan’s ECA has been a member since 2004.
The main theme of the meeting — “Adaptability” — reflects key challenges and transformations in the global export credit system: from digitalization and artificial intelligence to geopolitical and industrial shifts. The agenda covered the adaptation of export credit agencies to new industrial and political realities, the use of AI in risk assessment and insurance management, as well as strategies to stimulate exports.
Kazakhstan’s participation in such international platforms is of strategic importance. These events strengthen investor confidence, increase the recognition and attractiveness of Kazakh companies for international partners, and enable the adoption of global best practices in export credit and insurance.
During the plenary session, Astana was officially chosen as the host city for the upcoming Spring Meeting of the Berne Union — the first event of this scale to be held in the CIS and Central Asia.
In his address, Allen Chaizhunussov, Chairman of the Board of the Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan, highlighted the importance of hosting the Berne Union expert meeting in Kazakhstan, which unites 84 leading export credit agencies and international financial institutions from over 70 countries.
“We see the upcoming meeting in Astana not just as another session on the Berne Union calendar, but as a platform for cooperation and discussion of innovation, sustainability, and growth. Our agency’s active participation in these dialogues helps position Kazakhstan as a reliable and open partner in global trade,”
— said A. Chaizhunussov.
On the sidelines of the forum, ECA Kazakhstan representatives held several bilateral meetings with export credit agencies from China, Egypt, and Hong Kong, discussing potential cooperation areas, including reinsurance and country risk assessment.
In addition, during the Prague Club meeting, Ayan Bektybayeva, Deputy Chairwoman of the Board of the Export Credit Agency of Kazakhstan, was elected Deputy Chairwoman of the Prague Club — a role that will allow Kazakhstan’s ECA to actively participate in shaping the global export credit agenda and raise Kazakhstan’s priorities at the international level.
The Berne Union plays a key role in developing global rules and standards for export credit and investment insurance. Today, the organization includes 84 major export credit agencies and international financial institutions from over 70 countries, collectively providing around USD 2.5 trillion in annual payment risk insurance to banks, exporters, and investors — equivalent to 13% of global cross-border trade turnover.
