BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 19. Azerbaijani banks are developing at a very rapid pace, and Baku could become the financial center of the region, the Executive Vice President of the Polish Banking Association, Włodzimierz Kiciński, said in an interview with Trend at the 9th International Banking Forum held in Baku.
He shared his opinion on the development of Azerbaijan's banking sector, the prospects for cooperation between the two associations, and possible joint projects in the field of digitalization, artificial intelligence, fintech, and cybersecurity.
The interviewee spoke about the prospects for the development of Azerbaijani banks: "Azerbaijani banks are developing at a very rapid pace, and this dynamic is characteristic of the Azerbaijani economy as a whole. For us, this is a good opportunity to exchange ideas and provide information on trends in modern banking services in Europe. We believe that in the future, Baku could become an important center for the financial sector not only in Azerbaijan but also in Central Asia."
Kiciński also spoke about possible opportunities for cooperation between the Polish and Azerbaijani banking sectors: "There is currently a more active exchange of ideas and experience. An analysis of advanced solutions and innovations in the banking sector of both countries is being carried out. This may be followed by more concrete steps, including joint technological solutions and the involvement of fintech companies in this process."
Włodzimierz Kiciński also assessed the potential for a possible partnership between the banking sectors of the two countries in the field of cybersecurity: "The Polish Banking Association is very active in the field of cybersecurity. We cooperate with various countries around the world in this area and, thanks to this, we have repeatedly protected our clients' funds. We also have relations with Azerbaijan. During visits by Azerbaijani banks to Poland, we discussed issues of cybersecurity, combating fraud, and improving protection systems. Mutual ties have been established, and work in this area continues.
“We are now at the stage of implementing more specific cooperation measures. The memorandum is, of course, an important document from a formal point of view, but the main thing for us is the joint implementation of daily and real measures,” the Polish financier concluded.