Eurasia Geo Politics World

Azerbaijan connects Central Asia to the West, President Aliyev says

In an interview with local TV channels, published on the official presidential website, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said that an important achievement in Azerbaijan’s foreign policy in 2025 was the country’s election as a full member of the Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia. “From a geographical point of view,

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Business & Economy UZB

Poverty rate continues to decline in Uzbekistan

The Center for Economic Research and Reforms has released an analysis of poverty levels and household incomes in Uzbekistan for 2025, Dunyo official information agency reported. The analysis was prepared based on a study conducted by the National Statistics Committee of Uzbekistan in collaboration with the World Bank. According to the study, the poverty rate

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International Affairs KZ

Central Asian Regional Glaciological Centre extends its activities in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev late in December signed a law ratifying the Agreement between the Government of Kazakhstan and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on the renewal of the status of the Central Asian Regional Glaciological Centre in Kazakhstan as a Category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO for eight

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Business & Economy Eurasia

Afghanistan’s trade grows in 2025

In 2025, Afghanistan’s foreign trade significantly increased compared to the previous year, despite challenges and restrictions on trade routes, TOLOnews reported. According to the country’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the total value of Afghanistan’s exports and imports reached $13.932 billion, including $1.807 billion in exports and $12.125 billion in imports. Akhundzada Abdulsalam Jawad, spokesperson

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Geo Politics KZ

Kazakhstan president on economic issues, the country’s transit potential, and nuclear energy plans

In an interview with the Turkistan newspaper, published on the official presidential website, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said that in 2025, the country’s economy grew by more than 6 percent, with GDP surpassing $300 billion and per capita exceeding $15,000. “These are record high figures not only for our country but for the entire region,”

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Business & Economy UZB

China and Russia are the largest investors in Uzbekistan 

Uzbekistan continues to strengthen its investment momentum: the total volume of utilized investments reached $43.1 billion in 2025, marking a 24% increase compared to the previous year. A significant share was represented by $38.2 billion in foreign direct investment, along with $4.9 billion from international financial institutions, according to the Uzbek Ministry of Investment, Industry

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Business & Economy UZB

China is the largest exporter to Uzbekistan while Russia is the largest importer from Uzbekistan

From January to November 2025, Uzbekistan’s exports totaled $30.9 billion, a 26.2% increase compared to the same period the previous year, Dunyo information agency reported citing data from the National Statistics Committee. The top 10 export destinations of Uzbekistan were: Russia ($4 billion), China ($1.9 billion), Afghanistan ($1.3 billion), Kazakhstan ($1.3 billion), Turkey ($1 billion),

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Business & Economy KG

Kyrgyzstan’s shadow economy steadily declines

Kyrgyzstan’s non-observed (shadow) economy, excluding the agricultural sector, accounted for 19.5% of GDP in 2024, marking a 0.3% increase from 2023’s 19.2% but a 0.7% decrease from 2022’s 20.2%, according to the latest data from the National Statistical Committee. The Committee reports a steady decline in the shadow economy’s share of GDP over recent years, estimated

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International Affairs UZB

When intellectual property is stolen, reform becomes a choice — not a slogan

For more than twenty-five years, I have worked to build cultural bridges between Uzbekistan and the wider world. As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, a translator of Uzbek literature, and the founder of Suhbat LLC, I have dedicated a significant portion of my life to introducing Uzbek voices to English-speaking audiences. In 2019, that work

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Business & Economy KZ

EBRD facilitates development of renewables and logistics infrastructure in Kazakhstan

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is helping to meet growing demand for industrial infrastructure in the renewable energy and logistics sectors in Kazakhstan and across Central Asia by supporting the operations of Sarens Kazakhstan. The EBRD’s loan of up to €25 million (in KZT equivalent) to Sarens Kazakhstan, a fully owned

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Business & Economy UZB

Uzbekistan begins export of pomegranates, quinces and persimmons to Britain

For the first time ever, pomegranates, quinces, and persimmons from Uzbekistan have been exported to the United Kingdom as part of the latest shipment of Uzbek agricultural products, official information agency Dunyo reported. A total of three tons of produce was delivered via Uzbekistan Airways on the Tashkent-London route late in December. The exporter responsible

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Eurasia International Affairs

2026’s first train departs from China to Azerbaijan via Middle Corridor

A 45-container China-Europe freight train loaded with photovoltaic modules belonging to the China Energy Engineering Group has departed from the city of Xi’an, Azerbaijan’s AZERTAC state news agency reported. This is the first train to depart from China via the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, or the Middle Corridor, in 2026. The train, which departed on

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Business & Economy UZB

Uzbekistan declares 2026 the ‘Year of Development of the Mahalla and Society’

In his New Year’s greetings to the people of Uzbekistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev declared 2026 the “Year of Development of the Mahalla and Society.” In Uzbekistan, mahalla means a neighborhood or local community and is a key part of civil society. Mirziyoyev stated that in the new year, “we will improve the infrastructure of thousands

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Business & Economy KZ

China’s Xinjiang Lihua increases investment in Kazakhstan to $600 million

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov and Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Kazakh Invest National Company JSC Madiyar Sultanbek on December 30 held a working meeting with Xu Jie, General Director of Xinjiang Lihua (Group) Co., Ltd., according to the Kazakh Foreign Ministry. During the meeting, the parties discussed the

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Eurasia

Happy New Year 2026!

Eurasian Star wishes its readers peace, good health, and new opportunities in 2026. In the new year, we will continue to help you explore the political, economic, and cultural diversity of the vast Eurasian region.

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Business & Economy KZ UZB

EDB report: Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan the largest recipients of Chinese investment in Central Asia

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has released a new report, entitled “China and the Eurasian Region: Analysis of Investment Flows based on EDB Monitoring of Mutual Investments”. The report provides detailed information on mutual foreign direct investments (FDI) between China and 13 countries of the Eurasian region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia,

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Business & Economy KZ

Increasing number of Kazakhstan citizens access public services via smartphones

Mobile services are becoming a key channel for accessing public services: since the beginning of 2025, Kazakhstani citizens have received more than 51.5 million services online, almost half of which were delivered via the eGov Mobile application, according to the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development. As of today, around 90% of public services

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Eurasia International Affairs World

Iran seeks China–Europe railway link via Afghanistan

A delegation from Iran, led by Jabbar Ali Zakeri, head of the country’s railway administration, has visited Afghanistan to explore connecting Iran’s railway network to China through Afghan territory, TOLOnews reported. The primary focus of the project is the Herat–Balkh railway corridor, considered a vital transit route that would link Central Asian countries and China

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Business & Economy UZB

Uzbekistan: First energy capacities constructed in New Tashkent

On December 30, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev inspected energy facilities under construction on the territory of New Tashkent, which is currently under construction.  The modern trigeneration technology allows to simultaneously ensure the city with the heating and cooling, spending twice less energy than traditional sources. Production processes in traditional heating plants or cooling systems are

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Eurasia International Affairs

China-built railway opens in Georgia on Middle Corridor

A China-built modern railway was put into operation last week in Georgia, a key transit country for cargo and passenger transport between Asia and Europe, Xinhua reported. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Mariam Kvrivishvili, Director General of Georgian Railway Lasha Abashidze and about 150 guests attended the inauguration ceremony

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