On 5 December, AFI’s Board of Directors elected the Central Bank of Uzbekistan  (CBU) as its new Vice Chair, and as Board representative for AFI’s Eastern Europe & Central Asia region.

A principal AFI member since 2018, CBU has already served in a number of AFI governance bodies, including the Budget and Finance Committee and Gender Inclusive Finance Committee. The Bank also currently chairs AFI’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia Policy Initiative.

“Admission to the AFI Board of Directors is significant recognition of our country’s transformative reforms in promoting financial inclusion, supporting SMEs, and strengthening the foundations of an inclusive financial ecosystem,” said CBU Chairman, Timur Ishmetov.

“This appointment will enable Uzbekistan to share evidence-based perspectives and reform-oriented policy insights, and to promote fair, resilient, and future-ready financial systems, across AFI’s global network and the wider financial inclusion community.”

AFI’s Board of Directors provides strategic guidance to the organization, offering advice on how AFI can meet its objectives, identify new opportunities, and grow the network. In September, Soraya M. Hakuziyaremye, Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda, assumed the position of  AFI Board Chair, the first woman to hold the role. CBU’s role as Vice Chair will be ratified by the AFI Membership Council at the 2026 Annual General Meeting.

Learn more about AFI’s Governance.