The Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has announced the approval of a five-year alternative livelihood plan aimed at providing lawful and sustainable economic opportunities for the country’s farmers. This initiative follows the decree of the Islamic Emirate’s leadership banning the cultivation of poppy, TOLOnews reported. According to the
At a government meeting on November 4, Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov reported on the results of the 2025 harvesting campaign. “This year has been record-breaking not only for grain but also for the main high-yield and high-demand crops such as legumes and oilseeds, which were prioritized during the diversification of cropland,” Saparov said. According to
The Ministry of Industry and New Technologies of Tajikistan and the Eurasian Development Bank’s (EDB) Fund for Digital Initiatives have signed a memorandum of cooperation at the AI Conf 2025 international conference. The document confirms the parties’ commitment to developing joint digital projects, exchanging experience and strengthening national competencies in innovation and artificial intelligence (AI). Key areas
Czech manufacturer Škoda Group has announced plans to enter the Uzbek market through a joint venture. According to the company’s press service, Škoda Group continues its business activities focused on the Central Asian market and deepens its cooperation with Uzbekistan. Petr Novotný, CEO Škoda Group, participated in business negotiations led by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Brussels
Development Bank of Kazakhstan JSC announced the launch of a $1 billion program for financing projects for the extraction and processing of rare, rare earth, and critical materials for 2025–2030. The new program is designed to become a tool for implementing projects in the mining and metallurgical industry in the field of processing rare earth
“Kazakhstan remains an open and predictable country for long-term investments. Building a relationship of trust with investors is an integral part of our investment policy,” Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov stated at the VIII Kazakhstan Global Investment Roundtable (KGIR-2025) on October 31. The forum brought together more than 1,000 participants from over 50 countries,
The Kazakh-Afghan Business Forum took place in Shymkent this week, where 15 documents worth a total of $303 million were signed. The forum brought together business and government representatives from both countries and was organized with the support of the Kazakh government. Opening the event, Kazakh Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin noted the importance of
The Asian Development Bank (ADB), together with ACWA Power Company, Sumitomo Corporation, Chubu Electric Power Co. Inc., and Shikoku Electric Power Co. Inc., has signed a landmark financing package to build two utility-scale solar power plants with battery energy storage systems (BESS) in Uzbekistan. The Samarkand 1 and 2 Solar PV and BESS Projects will be developed across the
On October 27–28, a delegation of Uzbekistan led by Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev paid a working visit to Saudi Arabia aimed at deepening investment and industrial cooperation. During meetings with the Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia, Khalid Al-Falih, and senior executives of leading Saudi companies, the parties discussed prospects for expanding collaboration in
Kyrgyzstan now has its own gold storage facility that meets international standards and can hold up to a thousand tons of gold. Previously, the state had to store its gold reserves abroad. This was announced by President Sadyr Japarov at the opening ceremony of the new building of the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic
At the initiative of the President, Uzbekistan has identified key measures to advance the development of green energy, increase the share of renewable energy sources (RES), and reduce harmful emissions into the atmosphere. In line with these objectives, large-scale work is being carried out in the country. According to the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection
China’s Hunan Junxin Environmental Protection Co. Ltd. has launched the construction of a solid municipal waste processing plant in Karakol, the main city of Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul region. This is Hunan Junxin’s third waste-to-energy project in Kyrgyzstan, following similar projects in Bishkek and Osh. At the construction launch ceremony in Karakol on October 25, Chairman of
A trade and economic mission from Kazakhstan, organized by the Ministry of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan and QazTrade JSC, took place in Tashkent last week. Currently, 876 Kazakh enterprises operate in Uzbekistan, accounting for approximately $500 million in trade turnover across 270 categories. The mission included Kazakh companies representing construction materials, food and light
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), in collaboration with the Public-Private Partnership Centre (PPP Centre) at the National Investment Agency under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, has opened a branded lecture hall at one of the country’s leading universities, Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University (KRSU). The new facility was established under the EDB Technical Assistance Project to
On October 27, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a government meeting to review the expected results of economic development in the current year and the main macroeconomic indicators for 2026. In January-September of this year, the country’s economy grew by 7.6 percent, which significantly exceeds the forecast. Industrial production increased by 6.8 percent, construction by 14.2
The National Association of Oilseed Processors of Kazakhstan and Fayz Oil Imports (Uzbekistan) have signed a memorandum of cooperation. Under the agreement, the Uzbek company during a year plans to purchase $60 million worth of sunflower oil from Kazakh processing plants that are members of the association. According to the Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture, Uzbekistan
The investment strategy and economic priorities of Kazakhstan were presented to the international business community at an exclusive panel session titled “Kazakhstan – Diplomacy & Trade: Middle Power Countries”, held on October 20-21 as part of the Future Resilience Forum 2025 in London. The Kazakh delegation was led by Alibek Kuantyrov, Deputy Minister of Foreign
According to the latest figures published by the National Statistical Committee of Kyrgyzstan, the country’s foreign trade continues to decline, with a decrease in both exports and imports. In January-August 2025, Kyrgyzstan’s foreign trade decreased by 9.1% compared to the same period in 2024, amounting to $9.8 billion. Exports fell by 23.7% to $1.7 billion
From September 1 to October 19, 2025, Kazakhstan exported 1.6 million tons of grain of this year’s harvest, a 14% increase compared to the same period last year (1.4 million tons), according to the Ministry of Agriculture. Kazakh grain is exported by rail transport. The largest growth in export volumes was to countries of Central
The Central Asia Capital investment fund and the Ministry of Digital Development and Innovative Technologies of Kyrgyzstan have signed a memorandum aimed at establishing the country’s first innovative technology hub, Central Asia Hub, a platform for the development of high technology and localization of production. According to Central Asia Capital, the new hub will span
