Bishkek, Oct. 20, 2025 /Kabar/. Melis Turgunbaev, Chairman of the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan, participated in a closed-door meeting of central bank governors from the Middle East and Central Asia on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of Governors of the IMF and the World Bank Group, which took place in Washington, D.C., October 13-18.
According to the National Bank, the main topic of this event was a discussion of government policies amid global economic turbulence and how countries are adapting to the new reality of growing geo-fragmentation and increasing uncertainty.
Melis Turgunbaev delivered a keynote address at the event, along with the governors of the Bank of England and the central banks of Egypt and Armenia.
During his speech, Turgunbaev emphasized the need for small economies to adapt to the new economic reality associated with increasing geo-fragmentation, rising protectionism, and declining predictability of global processes. He also focused on the challenges associated with the development of the global crypto asset market and other digital financial instruments. Kyrgyz chairman emphasized that the National Bank of Kyrgyzstan advocates for the phased development of a regulated digital infrastructure, including central bank digital currencies (CBDC), as a tool for increasing transparency, control over money circulation, and the stability of the financial system. In his report, Turgunbaev also noted the need for more active IMF involvement in digital asset regulation and support for institutions in the face of rapid technological change.