October 22, 2023 Bishkek - On October 22, Bishkek hosted the International Forum on E-Commerce organized by the Association of Electronic Commerce and the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, VISA - the world leader in the digital payment industry - and the United Nations Development Programme within the framework of the "Aid for trade in Central Asia” project funded by the Government of Finland. 

Representatives of major international companies such as Visa, OZON, Alibaba, the World Bank IFC, representatives of ministries, experts and analysts spoke at e-Commerce EXPO 2023. The participants were able to receive first-hand information from experts about marketplaces, trends and development of digital payments, transport logistics, infrastructure, and experience in trading on international platforms. 

“For the second year now, we are pleased to be the general partner of the country’s largest e-Commerce EXPO forum dedicated to e-commerce. This is an excellent platform for the exchange of ideas, knowledge and experience between key players in the sector. Today, technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate, so it is important to stay on top of the latest trends and innovations. I am sure that the forum has already become a platform where new partnerships are formed that can influence the future of e-commerce in Kyrgyzstan,” said Christina Dorosh, vice president, regional manager of Visa in Central Asia and Azerbaijan. 

“The e-commerce market is developing; in recent years we have seen dynamic growth in sales on marketplaces, the development of fintech products and new logical paths for e-commerce. We believe that e-commerce will be the main driver of the development of the country’s economy,” said Aibek Kurenkeev, president of the Association of Electronic Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic. 

UNDP in Kyrgyzstan pays great attention to the development of e-commerce in Kyrgyzstan, as this is an important stage in Kyrgyzstan’s desire to accelerate the process of digital transformation. 

“This is the moment when we join the efforts to explore the enormous promise committed by e-commerce. The UN Development Program is proud to support Kyrgyzstan's digitalization efforts. Let me underscore our commitment to working with you to ensure a digital transformation that is fair, inclusive and benefits all, leaving no one behind,” said Alexandra Solovyova, UNDP Resident Representative in Kyrgyzstan. 

This forum attracted the attention of various business groups. Large companies found it an opportunity to discuss diversifying their strategies between online and offline segments, while for SMEs it provided a platform to think about expanding their customer audience and markets. 

The e-commerce forum E-COM EXPO is an annual event in the e-commerce industry that brings together professionals and experts in this field from around the world to exchange experiences, discuss the latest trends and create new development strategies. This is a unique opportunity for partners and sponsors to introduce themselves and their products and services to the entire e-commerce community of the Kyrgyz Republic.