As part of the implementation of the President of Kazakhstan’s instruction to increase the country’s transit potential and bring annual transit cargo volumes to 55 million tons, the Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan on February 16 met with the Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan to discuss expanding cooperation in rail transport, according to the Kazakh
At the 7th Hotel Business Forum 2026 in Tashkent, the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan announced its forecast for the current year: the country intends to receive 12 million foreign tourists. Extensive infrastructure preparations have been undertaken to accommodate this number of visitors, Tashkent Today reports. To date, 1,023 new accommodation facilities, including hotels, hostels, and
According to the National Statistics Committee, a total of 28,954 citizens of Uzbekistan went for studies abroad in 2025. Compared to 2024, the number of Uzbek students abroad decreased by almost 6,900, or 19.3%. The top 10 most popular countries for Uzbek students in 2025 were Russia – 6,498, Tajikistan – 6,039, Kyrgyzstan – 4,648,
Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov last week signed a decree establishing National Organic Agriculture Day, to be celebrated annually on the last Friday of September. The move reflects Kyrgyzstan’s aspiration to strengthen its position as a leading producer of organic agricultural products in the region. According to the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry,
The well-being of Kazakhstan citizens is declining. This is confirmed not only by the 2% decline in real incomes of working citizens in the fourth quarter of 2025, but also by the growing share of money spent on food, Finprom.kz reported. According to the Bureau of National Statistics, in the third quarter of 2025, Kazakhstan’s
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is supporting the modernisation of public transport in Kyrgyzstan through the introduction of 95 new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses in Bishkek, improving comfort, accessibility and environmental performance across the city. This is the second phase of the Bank’s bus acquisition project in Bishkek, which
An official opening ceremony was held on February 14 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to inaugurate an Uzbek supermarket, Dunyo information agency reported. The Uzbek diaspora in Philadelphia has officially inaugurated the Asr supermarket, a project spearheaded by community representatives in the city. The event brought together members of the Uzbek community, alongside representatives from Turkish, Palestinian,
In 2025, Uzbekistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 7.7 percent and exceeded 147 billion dollars. More than half of the economic growth was accounted for by the services sector. In agriculture, the average income per hectare increased from 4,500 to 5,000 dollars, while labor productivity grew by 4.7 percent. This was announced at a
Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov says that by his decision to dismiss Kamchybek Tashiev from the posts of a Deputy Prime Minister and the Chairman of the State Committee for National Security, he saved his friend and prevented a split in the country. On February 10, Japarov unexpectedly dismissed Tashiev—his political partner and close friend—from both
According to the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), mutual accumulated investment between Central Asian countries is rapidly growing. In 2024-2025, it increased by approximately $400 million (+42%), reaching $1.3 billion. Compared to 2020, the volume of mutual foreign direct investment (FDI) has almost quadrupled, reflecting sustainable investment ties within the region. According to the EDB’s report
Uzbekistan has worsened its position in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), ranking 124th out of 182 countries. Over the past year, the country has lost three positions, falling from the 121st place in the index, UzNews.uz reported. Among CIS countries, Uzbekistan’s ranking is better than that of Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan,
On February 12, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev listened to proposals on developing the creative economy, modernizing cultural infrastructure, and establishing new creative spaces. In Uzbekistan, the creative economy accounted for 3.7 percent of GDP in 2024, employing more than 319,000 people. The sector’s exports reached $770 million. The fact that more than 60 percent of
From April 22 to 24, 2026, Kazakhstan’s capital Astana, in partnership with the United Nations, will host the first Regional Ecological Summit, bringing together national leaders, heads of international organizations, and experts to discuss environmental and water resource issues, the Kazakh Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources announced. According to the organizers, the Regional Ecological
On February 25, a conference titled “Uzbekistan at the Crossroads: Regional Dynamics and Iberian Relations” will be held at the Centro Riojano de Madrid cultural center in Madrid, according to Dunyo information agency. The event is being organized by the Embassy of Uzbekistan in cooperation with the Autonomous University of Madrid and the University of
Four artificial glaciers (Ice Stupas) have been created in the Sarchashma mahalla of Shakhrisabz district in the Kashkadarya region. This technology makes it possible to utilize available water resources during the cold season, store the water in the form of ice and gradually melt it in spring and summer for irrigation and household use, according
The Prosecutor General’s Office of Kazakhstan has decided to extradite Russian opposition activist Yulia Yemelyanova to Russia, according to her lawyer Murat Adam, Fergana News Agency reported. The lawyer says he is urgently preparing an appeal to the Kazakh Supreme Court to cancel the decision. Yemelyanova is a former staff member of the St. Petersburg headquarters of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny. In 2021, Russian authorities
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Turkmenistan, together with the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Turkmenistan and the Scientific Information Center of the Interstate Commission on Sustainable Development (SIC ICSD), organized a roundtable dedicated to World Wetlands Day under the theme “Scaling Climate-Resilient Practices through Digitalization of Land and Water Monitoring” on February 9
On February 10, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received a delegation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), headed by its new President, Zou Jiayi. The parties discussed practical issues related to expanding the strategic partnership between Uzbekistan and the AIIB. In recent years, multifaceted cooperation with the bank has been developing dynamically. The
Kazakhstan has strengthened its position as a global leader in the export of sunflower oil and millcake, an important component in the production of feed for poultry and livestock. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Kazakhstan is the world’s 8th-largest exporter of sunflower oil and ranks among the top 3 sunflower millcake exporters to the
Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, President of the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and Djamshid Kuchkarov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan, have signed financing agreements to advance critical infrastructure and social development in Uzbekistan. Ahead of the signing, the two leaders held bilateral talks to discuss the expansion of the IsDB–Uzbekistan
