en.Wedoany.com Reported - Within the framework of the Foreign Investors Council under the President of Kazakhstan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan Zhaslan Madiyev (Жаслан Мәдиев), international financial services group Citi, and Freedom Holding Corp. signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding to jointly build a large-scale artificial intelligence cluster.

According to the agreement, the parties will cooperate in the fields of artificial intelligence, digital banking, and blockchain technology.

Zhaslan Madiyev stated that, in line with the instructions of the Head of State, Kazakhstan is building infrastructure to support the development of artificial intelligence.

He said: "Today, it is no longer enough to be merely a user of technology. It is crucial to have our own computing power and the conditions necessary to develop AI solutions. Signing this memorandum of understanding with Citi and Freedom Holding Corp. is another important step towards advancing the project to build a world-class AI cluster. This cluster will become a key center for attracting investment, talent, and technology companies, and will provide the necessary infrastructure for the government, research institutions, and businesses."

Stephanie von Friedeburg, Global Head of Public Sector at Citi, stated that this initiative is of great significance for Kazakhstan's long-term development.

She said: "This memorandum reflects our shared vision to support Kazakhstan's digital transformation and the development of advanced AI infrastructure. Through this collaboration, we will explore innovative financing methods to promote the construction of a world-class AI cluster and computing infrastructure, serving government agencies, businesses, and researchers. We are willing to leverage our global experience and international capital resources to further strengthen Kazakhstan's international competitiveness."

Timur Turlov (Тимур Турлов), CEO of Freedom Holding Corp., stated that this signing is a concrete manifestation of the Head of State's ambitious strategy in the fields of digitalization and artificial intelligence.

He said: "The pursuit of technological sovereignty and the goal of building Kazakhstan into a digital power have been clearly articulated at the highest level, and the memorandum signed today is a practical action to implement this strategy. Freedom Holding Corp. has extensive experience cooperating with global leading technology companies such as NVIDIA and OpenAI, and we are ready to utilize these professional capabilities to ensure the smooth implementation of the project."

According to the memorandum, the parties will build an AI cluster equipped with advanced Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) technology and construct data processing centers, making it a core infrastructure serving the government, scientific research, and commercial sectors.

Furthermore, the agreement proposes the creation of a digital asset ecosystem to further enhance Kazakhstan's position in the global financial system.

The parties also stated that they will deepen cooperation in digital banking and cross-border settlement, and promote the application of blockchain solutions to make financial instruments more open and transparent for all market participants.