Kazakhstan and AIIB Discuss Sustainable Infrastructure Financing in Lead-Up to the Bank’s 10th Annual Meeting

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) hosted a panel discussion on “Mobilizing Finance for Sustainable Infrastructure” on April 29 at the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) as part of a series of lead-up events for the tenth Annual Meeting of the AIIB Board of Governors, to be held on June 24-26, 2025 in Beijing.  

The discussion, led by AIIB in collaboration with Kazakhstan’s Ministry of National Economy and Ministry of Transport and key financial market participants, focused on enhancing investment in resilient infrastructure and green projects within Kazakhstan. It explored how AIIB can strengthen its presence and investment activities in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, especially by helping attract private capital into sustainable infrastructure projects.

Speakers and panelists highlighted how AIIB and other multilateral development banks, commercial banks and asset managers can work together to foster sustainable and inclusive growth through infrastructure and green financing. These partnerships bring in both expertise and financing, ensuring projects are not only economically viable but also aligned with broader sustainability goals. Another focus of the event was the ESG standards and how they are becoming essential for responsible investment in infrastructure.

The opening remarks were delivered by Mr. Konstantin Limitovskiy (AIIB), Mr. Satzhan Ablaliyev, (Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan) and Ms. Evgenia Bogdanova (AFSA). Key participants of the event included Ms. Saadat Asanseitova, Director of International Economic Cooperation at the Kazakhstan Ministry of National Economy; Ms. Zamira Sundetova, CEO of Skybridge Invest; Mr. Wang Xianming, Senior Executive Officer of China Construction Bank, AIFC branch; and other senior representatives.

“As a multilateral development bank, AIIB is uniquely positioned to help bridge the gap between public sector priorities and private sector expertise in Kazakhstan. This approach enables us to drive infrastructure investments that are critical for the country’s sustainable economic growth,” said Konstantin Limitovskiy, AIIB Chief Investment Officer, Public Sector (Region 2) & Project and Corporate Finance (Global) Clients. “Kazakhstan is already accelerating infrastructure and green investments, supported by proactive government policies and a dynamic private sector.”

“The Government of Kazakhstan has made sustainable infrastructure and clean energy central pillars of our national development strategy,” said Satzhan Ablaliyev, Vice Minister of Transport. “We greatly value AIIB’s continued support in mobilizing the capital and expertise needed to realize this vision.”

“Infrastructure isn’t just about building; it’s about enabling opportunity. The infrastructure of the future must be adaptable and offer long-term value, requiring innovative financing and conditions that reward sustainability. At AFSA, we are committed to enabling this transition. Our regulatory framework is designed to support a stable, transparent, and innovative financial environment. We recognize that responsible finance and investor confidence go hand in hand. That is why we continue to strengthen our supervisory approach, enhance market integrity, and create space for new financial products—particularly those linked to sustainability and climate resilience,” said Evgeniya Bogdanova, AFSA Chief Executive Officer.

As a founding member of AIIB, Kazakhstan played an important role in the Bank’s establishment, including hosting the Chief Negotiators’ Meeting in Almaty in March 2015. To date, AIIB has seven projects in Kazakhstan with a total value of over USD2 billion. Its projects are in various sectors, including transport, energy and healthcare. Key projects include helping finance the Zhanatas 100MW, Shokpar 100MW and 220MW Akmolar wind power plants, and the reconstruction of M-32 Highway (Aktobe-Karabutak-Ulgaisyn Section) as well as the Jezkazgan-Karagandy section of Trans-Caspian international transport route.

The AIIB Tenth Annual Meeting will take place on June 24-26, 2025, in Beijing under a theme “Connecting for Development, Collaborating for Prosperity”. For more details and registration information, visit https://2025am.aiib.org.

About AIIB 

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is a multilateral development bank dedicated to financing “infrastructure for tomorrow,” with sustainability at its core. AIIB began operations in 2016, now has 110 approved members worldwide, is capitalized at USD100 billion, and is AAA-rated by major international credit rating agencies. AIIB collaborates with partners to mobilize capital and invest in infrastructure and other productive sectors that foster sustainable economic development and enhance regional connectivity. 

About AFSA

The Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) is the independent regulator of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), which is established in accordance with the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan “On the Astana International Financial Centre” for the purposes of regulating financial services and related activities in the AIFC. AFSA administers the AIFC Regulations and Rules and is responsible for the authorisation, registration, recognition and supervision of financial firms and market institutions in the AIFC.

Over 3,800 firms from 85 countries are registered in the AIFC. These firms provide banking, insurance, investment, professional and other services. The range of financial services offered at the AIFC is comparable to the list of services available in long-established financial centers of the world, such as London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and others. www.afsa.kz

About AIFC

The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) is an independent jurisdiction with a favourable legal and regulatory environment and a developed infrastructure for starting and doing business, attracting investment, creating jobs and developing Kazakhstan’s economy. https://aifc.kz/