Central Bank of Uzbekistan Elected Vice-Chair of AFI Board of Directors

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — On 5 December, the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) elected the Central Bank of Uzbekistan (CBU) as the new Vice-Chair of the Board and as the Board’s representative for the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region, according to AFI.

A full member of AFI since 2018, the CBU has actively participated in several of the organization’s governing bodies, including the Budget and Finance Committee and the Gender Inclusive Finance Committee. Currently, the Bank also leads AFI’s Policy Initiative for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

“Being elected to the AFI Board of Directors is a significant recognition of our country’s transformational reforms in promoting financial inclusion, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, and strengthening the foundations of an inclusive financial ecosystem,” said CBU Chairman Timur Ishmetov.

“This appointment will allow Uzbekistan to share evidence-based analytics and reform-oriented policy approaches, while promoting fair, sustainable, and future-ready financial systems within the AFI global network and across the broader international financial community.”

The AFI Board of Directors provides strategic guidance to the organization, offering recommendations on achieving goals, identifying new opportunities, and developing the network. In September, Soraya M. Hakuziryemye, Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda, was elected Chair of the AFI Board of Directors, becoming the first woman to hold this position. The CBU’s role as Vice-Chair will be formally confirmed by the AFI Membership Council at the 2026 Annual General Meeting.