ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 1. Kazakhstan’s Mazhilis (lower house of the Parliament) has ratified a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Monetary Fund aimed at strengthening public administration across the Caucasus, Central Asia, and Mongolia, Trend reports via the Mazhilis.
The document was originally signed on October 23, 2024, in Washington, D.C..
The memorandum regulates the activities of the Regional Capacity Development Center based in Almaty. The center began operating in a remote format on February 1, 2021, while its official opening took place in June 2023.
The center brings together civil servants from Kazakhstan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, offering a platform for knowledge-sharing and professional exchange in macroeconomic policy, monetary and fiscal frameworks, financial regulation and supervision, and macroeconomic statistics.
According to the Mazhilis, the initiative aims to enhance Kazakhstan’s international standing and further position Almaty as a regional hub for knowledge and cooperation. It also contributes to improving the qualifications of public sector professionals and boosting the effectiveness of state institutions.
Under the memorandum, the IMF will cover the costs related to the salary, social benefits, and housing of the center’s director, while other expenses will be financed through contributions from beneficiary countries and donor partners.