First Vice-Governor of the National Bank of Georgia (NBG), Ekaterine Mikabadze, participated in the "AIFC Connect: Tbilisi 2026" side event held within the framework of the Tbilisi Finance Summit.

The event was organized by the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) in partnership with the National Bank of Georgia, the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), and ITS. Its primary goal was to deepen financial cooperation between Georgia and Kazakhstan, expand cross-border access to capital markets, and create new opportunities for investors.

In her welcoming remarks, Ekaterine Mikabadze emphasized the close economic relations between Georgia and Kazakhstan and the importance of strengthening cooperation within the financial sector.

The First Vice-Governor of the NBG also highlighted the collaboration between the regulatory authorities of Georgia and Kazakhstan. She noted that the agreement signed with the Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) serves as a significant foundation for improving mutual access to capital markets and strengthening supervisory cooperation.

"These initiatives reflect our shared goal: to strengthen regional financial connectivity, encourage cross-border investments, and bring the financial markets of Georgia and Kazakhstan closer together," noted Ekaterine Mikabadze.

She further underscored the progress within the asset management sector. Publishing Georgian government bond indices on international platforms, including Bloomberg, represents a critical step toward improving the visibility and accessibility of Georgian securities for international investors. She also addressed the ongoing development of Georgia's capital market.

"The year 2025 was a record year in terms of public corporate bond issuances new issuances reached 1.57 billion GEL, the majority of which were denominated in the local currency. This reflects the growing role of local currency funding and the confidence of both issuers and investors in our market," stated the First Vice-Governor.

One of the central topics of AIFC Connect: Tbilisi 2026 was the Mutual Access and Recognition Project an initiative aimed at establishing practical mechanisms to simplify mutual market access for financial institutions and other market participants operating in the AIFC and Georgia.

A key foundation for this initiative is the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the National Bank of Georgia and AFSA on September 9, 2026. The agreement envisions facilitating mutual access to capital markets, enhancing supervisory cooperation, and promoting information exchange between the regulatory bodies.

AIFC Connect: Tbilisi 2026 brought together representatives from regulatory authorities, banks, investment companies, stock exchanges, and other financial institutions from both Georgia and Kazakhstan.