Historian Maral Tompiev has discovered a previously unknown peak which he believes may be the highest point in Saryarka, or the Kazakh Uplands, in Central Kazakhstan, Liter.kz reported. Tompiev had encountered descriptions of the Karkaraly Mountains numerous times in the works of travelers of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society in the mid-19th century and in
The investment fund Central Asia Capital and the Ministry of Education and Science of Kyrgyzstan have signed an agreement launching the Central Asia Startup program, the first large-scale project to develop entrepreneurship and technology startups in Kyrgyzstan. According to Central Asia Capital, the program aims to support aspiring entrepreneurs, develop an innovation ecosystem, and foster
On November 16, the seventh Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia was held in Tashkent under the chairmanship of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The summit was attended by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali
The second meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan was held in Tashkent on November 15, co-chaired by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Mirziyoyev stated that Kazakh-Uzbek relations have now reached the highest level of a strategic partnership and alliance. The parties discussed new areas of cooperation and
The Digital Autumn immersive art festival is taking place from November 13th to 20th at the Almaty Creative Hub, bringing together the best examples of digital art and virtual reality from France. This year’s festival highlight is the premiere of the AR (Augmented Reality) fresco “La Forêt qui fait peur” (The Scary Forest), created under
Central Asia is entering a new, historically significant stage of its development. Today we are shifting to a real unity. For the first time in many years an atmosphere of trust, good neighborliness and mutual respect is being formed in the region, becoming a foundation for joint movement forward, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev wrote in
On November 13, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a government meeting to review the ongoing works in the railroad sector and plans for upcoming years. The large-scale transformation processes initiated in the railway sector are already yielding positive results. The industry ended last year with a net profit for the first time, and for the first
On November 11, Bishkek hosted the 26th meeting of the Kyrgyz-Russian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technical, and Humanitarian Cooperation, co-chaired by Adylbek Kasymaliev, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, and Alexey Overchuk, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia. According to Kasymaliev, Russia is a reliable ally and strategic partner of Kyrgyzstan. Russia
Kazakhstan has increased its export cargo transportation by rail through Russia, as well as rail transit along the China-Russia route. According to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the country’s railway company, from January to October 2025, rail freight volumes between Kazakhstan and Russia totaled 71.6 million tons, a 5% increase compared to the same period last year,
On November 13, the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan organized the first meeting of the Council of Ministers of Trade and Investment of the Central Asian countries and Azerbaijan in Tashkent. The event was aimed at strengthening regional cooperation in trade, investment, and industrial collaboration. The meeting was attended by Laziz Kudratov,
At a government meeting on November 12, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was briefed on the ongoing work and objectives for 2026 aimed at curbing inflation and ensuring macroeconomic stability. It was noted that consistent efforts to saturate the domestic market and contain inflationary factors have ensured sustainable economic growth, and positive results in reducing inflation and
As part of the state visit of Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Russia on November 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Tokayev signed the Declaration on the Transition of Interstate Relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and Alliance. An extensive package of intergovernmental agreements was also signed to expand Kazakh-Russian cooperation in security policy, trade, investment, culture, and humanitarian affairs. Following their talks, Putin and Tokayev
Specialists from Uzbekistan have arrived in Kyrgyzstan to prepare a master plan for an “Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan Friendship Garden.” The Kyrgyz Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry says it has allocated a 50-hectare land plot in the village of Bash-Kara-Suu near Bishkek for the project with a preliminary cost of $500,000. The funding will be
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $300 million policy-based loan—$100 million of which is concessional—to support the Government of Uzbekistan’s ongoing efforts to expand access to finance for underserved micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), particularly those led by women, while strengthening the country’s microfinance sector. Subprogram 2 will expand and deepen the
Iran is seeking to accelerate efforts to sign a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Uzbekistan amid hopes that the arrangement could lead to a substantial increase in trade with the Central Asian country, Iran’s Press TV reported. Iran’s trade minister Mohammad Atabak was in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, on November 10 to hold talks on new
On November 11, Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda met with Turkmenistan President Serdar Berdimuhamedov in Ashgabat to strengthen ADB’s long-standing partnership with Turkmenistan and discuss ways to deepen cooperation in support of the country’s sustainable and inclusive growth. The visit marks the 25th anniversary of the ADB–Turkmenistan partnership and coincides with the country’s
The Minister of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan, Sherzod Shermatov, announced plans to work with NVIDIA to advance the nation’s infrastructure for NVIDIA, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies. Uzbekistan plans to work with NVIDIA to support several AI development strategies: Knowledge and experience exchange NVIDIA will share international best practices on AI governance, ecosystem development, and
As part of his working visit to the United States, Uzbek Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov held a meeting with the leadership of Coursera, one of the world’s largest online education platforms. The discussions focused on expanding cooperation in IT education, developing a certification system aligned with international standards, and broadening access to global
The Central Asian-German Institute for the Protection of Ecosystems and Biodiversity has officially opened at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty. The new institute’s goal is the scientifically based development of initiatives aimed at ensuring ecosystem sustainability and preserving biodiversity in Central Asian countries. The institute will serve as a platform for strengthening environmental cooperation
The European Union and Turkmenistan held their 24th Joint Committee on November 7 in Ashgabat. The two sides exchanged on the progress made in the relations between the EU and Turkmenistan, particularly, in the areas of trade, connectivity, energy and environment, and a number of other areas of cooperation, according to the Delegation of the European
