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.