ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 29. Vice President of the International Financial Corporation (IFC) for the Middle East, Central Asia, Türkiye, Afghanistan, and Pakistan Hela Cheikhrouhou will make a working visit to Kazakhstan, Kazakh Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Aibek Smadiyarov said, Trend reports.
"Vice President of the IFC for the Middle East, Central Asia, Türkiye, Afghanistan, and Pakistan Hela Cheikhrouhou will make a working visit to Kazakhstan. As part of his tour of Central Asian countries, Cheikhrouhou will hold meetings with the country's leadership to discuss capacity development in the transport and energy sectors, including through public-private partnerships, as well as in the field of decarbonization of the economy," he said.
As Smadiyarov noted, the trip is aimed at strengthening and expanding cooperation between the IFC and Kazakhstan.
Meanwhile, in Central Asia, IFC has been ramping up its work to expand financial services and market access for women-led firms. Since 2018, IFC has invested $155 million in 15 local financial institutions across the region.
In fiscal 2023, IFC made a record investment in emerging markets, which are expected to improve access to finance for MSMEs through the provision of 2.2 million loans.