The central banks of Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have agreed to study integrating their national instant payment systems so residents and tourists can pay across the region by QR code through existing banking apps. The preliminary agreement was reached at a meeting of central and national bank representatives in Dushanbe. The plan is meant to reduce reliance on unfamiliar apps and currency exchange points while making everyday retail payments faster and more transparent.
Key Takeaways: Five countries — Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan — plan to connect national instant payment systems for cross-border QR payments. A joint working group will prepare technical standards, payment message formats, requisites structures and security requirements before drafting a phased roadmap. The project is expected to simplify regional travel payments and support trade and tourism, though no single supranational regulator will be created.
Context & Background: The talks reflect a wider push in Central Asia and the CIS area to link digital payment infrastructures as trade, tourism and labor migration grow. Cross-border retail payments have long relied on international card networks, cash, money transfer operators or separate wallets, adding cost and complexity for users. The QR model is presented as a lighter option: rather than building a new regional institution, participating countries would align technical rules and let existing national systems communicate. For Uzbekistan, the issue is practical because citizens increasingly travel to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan for work, tourism, trade and family visits.
Under the preliminary arrangement, the countries will form a joint working group of bank and national payment system representatives. They must agree on the format for exchanging payment messages, the structure of payment details and settlement security requirements, then prepare a roadmap for a phased launch. Participants decided against creating a separate supranational regulator and will instead focus on harmonizing technical standards, digital identification and data exchange rules. No binding launch date has been announced, and the project remains at the preparatory stage.
Some bilateral solutions are already moving ahead. Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan reportedly launched a QR settlement mechanism between their banks in October 2025. Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan are also preparing mutual payments based on national QR codes. Once operational, Uzbek residents should be able to pay in Kazakhstan using Uzbekistan's national QR code, while Kazakh visitors should be able to do the same in Uzbekistan. These pilots may serve as testing grounds for the broader five-country framework, helping regulators and payment operators identify technical and compliance problems before regional expansion.
Outlook: The next step is for the joint working group to turn the preliminary agreement into technical documentation and a roadmap. Officials are expected to focus on interoperability, security, digital identification and data exchange rules, aiming to make cross-border QR payments routine for travelers. If successful, the initiative could become a visible example of practical digital integration in the region. Implementation will depend on national approvals, the readiness of banks and payment systems, and the ability to reconcile regulatory differences among the five countries.
Source: podrobno.uz