In 2025, Kazakhstan’s trade turnover with the member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) amounted to 72.6 billion US dollars. In 2024, this figure was $67.7 billion, according to the Kazakh Ministry of Trade and Integration. Kazakhstan’s exports to the SCO countries amounted to 30.7 billion dollars, while imports totaled 41.8 billion dollars. Kazakhstan’s
On September 2, the Uzbek premiere of the short documentary film “A New Look: Uzbek Fashion Following Independence” by British director Dan Akhm took place in Tashkent. A special screening, timed to coincide with the celebration of the 35th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence, was held at the Human House Gallery with the support of the
The United Nations General Assembly on August 31 adopted the resolution entitled “International Day of Greening the Planet,” initiated by Kazakhstan, proclaiming 22 April as the International Day of Greening the Planet. The initiative to establish the International Day was put forward by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the general debate of the 80th
The Uzbek cities of Tashkent and Samarkand have become members of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Green Cities Network, according to the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of Uzbekistan. According to certificates issued by the Secretariat of FAO’s Green Cities Initiative at FAO Headquarters in Rome on 20
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a joint declaration of the People’s Republic of China and the Kyrgyz Republic on the high-quality development of the comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era and a bilateral treaty on permanent good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation after their talks in Bishkek on August 31, Xinhua
On August 30, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held talks with Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, who arrived in Uzbekistan on a state visit. The leaders emphasized the historic significance of the visit, which marks the elevation of relations between Uzbekistan and India to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership. The talks focused
The establishment of the Uzbekistan Business Council in Dubai was announced on August 26. The initiative was launched by the Representative Office of the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan in the UAE, the Embassy of Uzbekistan in the UAE, and representatives of the Uzbek business community, with the support of the Dubai
In autumn 2014, the first World Nomad Games were held on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. A new international project was taking its first steps, and no one yet knew what the future would hold. OCA Magazine, published in London since 2009, became a media partner of the inaugural Games. We dedicated the
At the August National Conference of Education Workers of Kazakhstan on August 26, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke about the education and upbringing of youth. In his opinion, schools should not only impart knowledge but also cultivate a confident, courageous, and optimistic and future-oriented generation. According to Tokayev, the task of teachers is to cultivate optimists,
On August 25, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended a ceremony marking the commissioning of new facilities across the country ahead of the 35th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence. By pressing a symbolic button, the President officially commissioned 72 major investment projects and 91 social facilities. The President stated that over the past ten years, Uzbekistan’s economy has
International rating agency S&P Global Ratings has upgraded the sovereign credit rating of Kazakhstan to “BBB”. Previously, the country’s sovereign credit rating stood at “BBB-”, according to the Kazakh Ministry of National Economy. According to the agency’s rating scale, Kazakhstan has achieved this rating level for the first time since 2016. The sovereign rating upgrade
China has unilaterally simplified visa requirements for Kyrgyzstan citizens in a move that will further deepen mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries and make tourism, business, investment, and trade more convenient and efficient, according to Chinese officials. China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced that effective August 20, 2026, nationals of Kyrgyzstan will be
Kazakhstan plans to fully meet its electricity demand in the first quarter of 2027, and by the end of 2027, the country expects to generate 1.3 billion kWh of surplus electricity. This will be achieved through the launch of new generating capacity, according to the Ministry of Energy. In 2027, Kazakhstan plans to put into
The first Critical Minerals Forum of Tajikistan and Korea took place in Seoul on August 12 to help identify practical projects and connect Tajikistan’s vast resource potential with Korea’s expertise and technologies for mineral exploration and development. The forum brought together senior Tajik government officials and representatives of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
In January–June 2026, Kazakhstan’s exports grew by 8.6%, reaching $40.3 billion. Exports are growing faster than imports, the positive trade balance approached $9 billion, and Kazakhstani goods have significantly strengthened their positions in the markets of China, Turkey, France, Uzbekistan, and other countries, according to the Ministry of Trade and Integration. Kazakhstan’s foreign trade turnover
On August 17, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the Liaoning Normal University branch in Uzbekistan and the Confucius Institute in Khiva. A new educational complex has been built as part of a project implemented jointly with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Urgench State University, and China’s Liaoning Normal University. The complex includes academic
The fifth Burabay International Short Film Festival (BISFF) took place in Shchuchinsk from 12 to 14 August 2026. Founded by the British media holding Silk Road Media and curated by Eurasian Creative Guild (London), the festival brought together filmmakers and guests from more than 20 countries across Europe, Asia, North America, and South America. For
Until recently, Central Asia remained one of the least familiar regions of the world for most people in Latin America. If the names Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, or Uzbekistan were known at all, they were usually associated with geography, sports, or occasional news headlines. Today, that is beginning to change. Growing trade and economic ties, new international
SABIS International School–Astana has officially opened in Kazakhstan’s capital. The opening ceremony was attended by Victor Saad, President and Chief Executive Officer of SABIS; Talgat Yeshenkulov, Vice-Minister of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan; Bakytzhan Zhumagulov, President of the National Engineering and Technical Academy of Kazakhstan; and Kassymkhan Sengazyev, Head of the Astana City Education
“The most valuable investment a nation can make is an investment in an educated, competitive, and patriotic younger generation.” This principle, consistently emphasized by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has become increasingly relevant in the twenty-first century. Today, international relations are shaped not only through negotiations between heads of state and ministers