The National Bank of the Republic of Tajikistan held talks with the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB) Secretary-General, Ghiath Shabsigh, on strengthening cooperation to advance Islamic finance in Tajikistan, including the implementation of IFSB international standards and the development of a regulatory and legal framework for issuing sukuk. Discussions also covered access to technical and financial resources and joint efforts to train specialised staff for Islamic finance and banking. The authorities noted that the National Bank of the Republic of Tajikistan is the regulator for both banking and insurance, including Islamic insurance (takaful), and agreed that support would be provided to help Tajikistan study international experience in takaful, sukuk, Islamic monetary instruments and Islamic financial technology. The National Bank has been an IFSB member since 2010 and participates in its working groups.