Dubai: The host of this year’s Expo 2017, Astana, has inked a memorandum of understanding and cooperation with Dubai Expo 2020 to share expertise and assistance on issues such as Islamic Finance, sustainability, and economic zones, the event organisers said in a statement on Wednesday.

The agreement between Astana and Dubai was signed on the sidelines of the World Future Energy Summit, currently underway in Abu Dhabi, by Akhmetzhan Yessimov, the Chairman of the Board of Astana Expo 2017, and Najeeb Mohammad Al Ali, Executive Director of Dubai Expo 2020 Bureau.

The two cities agreed to work jointly on the Astana International Financial Centre, Islamic Finance, and developing ‘green’ bonds through the Centre for Development of Green Technologies in Kazakhstan.

“We held talks with the Dubai International Financial Centre and agreed to use its experience in Kazakhstan,” said Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, who was attending the summit in Abu Dhabi.

Nazarbayev added that this cooperation would promote better ties on issues such as Islamic Finance in the region. He also noted that the initiatives to promote clean energy were a good platform for cooperation, according to the statement.

Construction is 95 per cent complete at the site of Astana’s Expo 2017, according to the statement, with pavilions currently being handed over to participating countries.