04.07.2022
ISTC Attends AIFC - Astana Finance Days
On 28th June 2022 ISTC Executive Director David Cleave took part in the AIFC, Astana Finance Days financial conference - the largest dialogue platform in the region to discuss the status and prospects of key topics of today. More than 15,000 participants from 100 Countries have attended this conference since 2018-2021.
The ISTC Executive Director was invited to participate in a plenary panel on EU- Kazakhstan Cooperation. The EU and Kazakhstan have been partners since the Country's Independence in 1991. In December 2015, the EU and Kazakhstan signed an Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA) the first of its kind with a Central Asian partner. The EU is the biggest foreign investor in Kazakhstan and its largest trading Partner.
The Plenary session and panel discussion on EU - Kazakhstan Cooperation commenced with a Keynote address from Mr. Bakhyt Sultanov, Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Trade & Integration of Kazakhstan followed by Mr. Johannes Stenbaek Madsen, Head of Cooperation Section at the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan. The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Jochen Biederman, Managing Director of - WAIFC World Alliance of International Financial Centers, addressing question to the panel including ISTC Executive Director David Cleave, Mr. Hubertus Vath, MD of the Frankfurt Main Finance and Mr. James Martin AIFC Chief Investment Officer. The ISTC Executive Director outlined the array of R&D & S&T projects funded by the EU and implemented by ISTC in Kazakhstan and Central Asia and emphasized the importance of EU funding and engagement in the region.
In January 2022 ISTC and AIFC signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in order to seek and assist in mutually supporting,sourcing projects and assisting in technology development, commercialization and seeking potential partners. ISTC is able to provide project peer review services and with the ISTC network of technical and human resources that can take projects to the next stage for funding partners looking to find viable future and sustainable green energy projects. The AIFC has potential funding sources where the ISTC tap into those partners and collaborate in the sourcing and engagement of green energy projects.