The Central Asian Dialogue vs Global Financial Turbulence

Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, August 13, 2009 --(PR.com)-- Bishkek will be hosting the annual VI Bishkek International Banking Conference (BIBC) on September 23rd – 25th. BIBC is organized by the Union of Kyrgyz Banks, the Banking Association for Central and Eastern Europe (BACEE), The Asian Banker publication and Moscow International Currencу Association with information support from Euromoney, Global Finance and The Banker. The lead sponsor of the conference is AsiaUniversalBank.

Entitled Central Asian Dialogue, the conference seeks to reinvent itself to a large scale event meeting current challenges and covering the pillars of Central Asia’s financial services' industry. Participants will explore a diverse array of topics ranging from how to select an appropriate regulatory policy in times of financial turbulence to the importance of compliance initiatives in meeting global competitiveness standards. Placing large emphasis on tackling of the most crucial topics from the regional perspectives, Central Asia Dialogue has become one of the most important must-attend country-specific events among frontier markets.

How do Central Asian economies integrate into the global financial system given that markets face instability? How has the financial crisis affected economies of the region? How is the Central Asian financial sector developing in the context of liquidity shortage? These and many other issues will be discussed during this year’s Central Asian Dialogue.

Anvar Abdraev, the president of Union of Kyrgyz banks said: “This year BIBC is going to be the regional forum highlighting several rapidly expanding frontier markets, which continue to demonstrate signs of growth and prosperity in a time of the overall global decline. Business and financial think-tanks with a strong interest in the region will use the Central Asian Dialogue as a platform to broaden their horizons on the prospects and perils that the region faces and enter a constructive dialogue on how to overcome such challenges and realize the region’s true growth potential.”

The Union of Kyrgyz Banks (conference organizer) and Flexi Communications integrated communications agency signed an agreement on informational cooperation within the framework of the “Central Asian dialogue” project. Under the agreement made, the agency has been entrusted with comprehensive communications support of the conference.

According to Anvar Abdraev, the President of the Union of Kyrgyz Banks, FC has been elected due to its position, where the company is virtually the only consulting agency in Central Asia focusing on financial communications. Another important aspect affecting the decision is the fact that the company has connections with international business mass media.

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AsiaUniversalBank (AUB) is the largest commercial bank in Kyrgyzstan, holding about a quarter of the combined assets and deposits reported by the entire Kyrgyz banking system. AUB operates 90 branches in the Kyrgyz Republic and has representative offices in Riga, Latvia, Kiev, Ukraine and Almaty, Kazakhstan. AUB is the only entity in the country to have received an international credit rating from Moody's Investor Services.

Union of Kyrgyz Banks is an association of commercial banks, non-resident banks’ affiliated branches and representative offices and special-purpose financial-credit organizations working in the KR territory.

Banking Association for Central and Eastern Europe (BACEE) BACEE was founded in 1996 with the goal of promoting business relations of its member banks with financial institutions of Central and Eastern Europe. To support business expansion in the CEE region which generally represents a higher risk than in the developed economies, BACEE is providing information and analytical services on country and bank risk in Central and Eastern Europe. BACEE holds regular seminars, conferences and training courses to share its experience with the broader banking community.

Moscow International Currency Association (MICA) combines about 100 financial organizations. The Association is involved in active lawmaking, lobbyist and public activity, protecting the interests of the banking community concerning the issues related to the procedure of conducting transactions on the financial markets and banking activity on the whole.

Flexi Communications is an integrated communications agency specializing in providing local and international companies in Kyrgyzstan and the Central Asia with services in corporate financial communications, marketing, market regulators relations and special events planning.

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