Mr. Radu Hanga
FEAS Chairman | President of Bucharest Stock Exchange
Remarks
The Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges (FEAS) stands as a testament to the power of collaboration. In its almost 30 years of existence, FEAS brought together stock exchanges, post-trade institutions, and industry associations from over 29 countries across Europe, Asia, and the Mediterranean. Currently, we are 30 members, 9 observers and 5 partners, in the Federation and through the spirit of cooperation, we work to promote the cooperation and development of our capital markets within the vast Euro-Asian Region.
One of the key ways FEAS fosters cooperation is by facilitating communication and knowledge exchange among members. Conferences, workshops, and training programs provide platforms for sharing best practices, discussing regulatory developments, and exploring emerging trends. These events allow us to learn from each other's experiences, fostering innovation and improvement across the region.
One of the most important moments this year for our community was the resumption of our annual flagship international event ConFEAS, after a break of three years held in mid-June, in Yerevan, Armenia.
The conference featured over 40 speakers and covered four main areas of capital markets, as well as offered a unique cultural networking session, and much more. ConFEAS 2023 brought together around 200 participants from Exchanges, CSDs, Banks, Regulatory Bodies, Investment Companies, and IFIs under one roof to discuss the latest trends, issues, and opportunities in modern capital markets.
I would like to mention here some of FEAS’s key event in 2023: our 37th General Assembly Meeting, in Yerevan (June) and in and 38th General Assembly Meetings, as well as the Capital Market Talks 2023, held in the beautiful city of Almaty (November), Kazakhstan. In addition, I would like to thank our partners in the webinars (Regional Center for Sustainable Finance - RCSF and Financial Regulatory Authority - FRA) and onsite training in Athens (Athens Stock Exchange).
FEAS plays a crucial role in promoting regional integration. By establishing common standards and procedures, FEAS helps to create a more seamless environment for cross-border investment. This can lead to increased liquidity, diversification of investment opportunities, and a more attractive environment for international investors.
Collaboration also extends to research initiatives. FEAS conducts studies on critical topics relating to capital market development. These studies provide valuable insights for policymakers, regulators, and market participants alike, and I would mention here the quarterly factsheets and newsletters, as well as the weekly newsletters that keep us informed on the developments in our markets. By promoting a data-driven approach, FEAS helps to ensure that the development of Euro-Asian Region capital markets is informed by sound research and best practices. Raising financial literacy plays an important role in every stock exchange mission, and I’m glad FEAS continued the Borsa City comic book, as it presents the stock market on an easier to understand language for regular people. The benefits of cooperation within FEAS are not limited to individual members, but investors and issuers also stand to gain. Cooperation can lead to greater transparency and improved corporate governance across the region, fostering investor confidence.
Looking ahead, FEAS is well-positioned to play a critical role in the continued development and integration of Euro-Asian capital markets. By fostering collaboration among its diverse membership, FEAS can help to unlock investment opportunities, attract global capital, and ultimately contribute to sustainable economic growth across the Region.
All these important steps undertaken in 2023 wouldn’t have been possible without our amazing Secretariat team lead by Konstantin Saroyan and I want to thank our colleagues Armenuhi Hovakimyan, Marusya Hovhannisyan and Diana Ghazaryan as well. I wish all my colleagues in FEAS and our readers an amazing 2024 and as much determination to develop our markets even further.