Kazakhstan’s Export Credit Agency (ECA) participated in the Berne Union Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Ottawa, Canada. The event convened more than 200 financial sector experts, representatives of leading ECAs and EXIM banks, international financial institutions, and private insurers from around the world.

As part of the extensive business program, the Kazakhstani delegation attended the Berne Union plenary session, working meetings of the Export Credit Agencies Committee, and sessions of the Prague Club, of which Kazakhstan’s ECA has been a member since 2004.

The central theme of the gathering—”Adaptability”—reflected the key challenges and transformations shaping the global export credit landscape: from digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI) to geopolitical and sectoral shifts. The agenda included discussions on how ECAs can adapt to new industrial and political realities, the use of AI in risk assessment and insurance product management, and creating conditions conducive to export growth.

Kazakhstan’s participation in such platforms is of strategic importance. These engagements strengthen international investor confidence, enhance the visibility and attractiveness of Kazakhstani companies to foreign partners, and enable the implementation of global best practices in export credit and insurance.

During the plenary session, Astana was selected as the host city for the upcoming Berne Union Spring Meeting—an event of this scale to be held in the CIS and Central Asia for the first time. In his address, Allen Chaizhunussov, Chairman of the Management Board of Kazakhstan’s Export Credit Agency, highlighted the significance of hosting a Berne Union expert meeting in Kazakhstan, bringing together 84 leading export credit agencies and international financial institutions from more than 70 countries.

According to Mr. Chaizhunussov, the Berne Union is not merely a discussion platform but a community that shapes global standards in export support.

“We view the upcoming meeting in Astana not just as another entry in the Berne Union calendar, but as a platform for cooperation and dialogue on innovation, sustainable development, and growth. Our agency’s presence in these discussions helps position Kazakhstan as a reliable and open partner in global trade,” he noted.

On the sidelines of the forum, representatives of Kazakhstan’s ECA held a series of bilateral meetings with export credit agencies from China, Egypt, and Hong Kong, discussing cooperation opportunities, including in the areas of reinsurance and country risk assessment.

Furthermore, during the Prague Club session, Ayan Bektybayeva, Deputy Chair of the Management Board of Kazakhstan’s Export Credit Agency, was elected Deputy Chair of the Prague Club. This appointment will enable Kazakhstan’s ECA to play a more active role in shaping the international agenda and raising issues of national importance at the global level.

The Berne Union plays a pivotal role in setting global rules and standards in export credit and investment insurance. Today, the organization unites 84 major export credit agencies and international financial institutions from more than 70 countries. Collectively, its members provide around USD $2.5$ trillion in annual protection against payment risks to banks, exporters, and investors—equivalent to 13% of global cross-border trade.