The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and Hong Kong’s bourse are actively engaging with mining companies in Kazakhstan to explore dual-listing opportunities in the city, following a groundbreaking case last year, the head of the Central Asian country’s special financial zone has said.

AIFC governor Renat Bekturov also said several partnership agreements the body had signed with Hong Kong during Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu’s visit to Central Asia earlier this month marked an “important milestone” in expanding cooperation on various aspects.

“We expect these partnerships to facilitate greater investment flows between our regions, enhance awareness of Kazakhstan and Central Asia among Asian investors and support joint capital market initiatives,” he told the South China Morning Post in an interview.

“They are about creating new channels through which capital, expertise, innovation and investment opportunities can move more efficiently between Hong Kong, Kazakhstan and the wider Central Asian region, laying the foundation for deeper long-term cooperation and sustainable economic growth.”

The AIFC is a special financial zone established in 2018 that applies common law and international arbitration, and positions itself as a gateway for Chinese investment seeking entry into Central Asian and Eurasian markets.