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
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 Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan, Clearbrook Energy Solutions (CES), and AG-Tech have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) manufacturing and assembly plant in Kazakhstan. The signing took place on the sidelines of the C5+1 Business Conference in Washington, D.C. last week. The
On November 6 in Washington, D.C., President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting with representatives of leading American companies, investment funds, and financial institutions. The event was attended by US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Special Assistant to the U.S. President Ricky Gill, Special Envoy to the President Paolo Zampolli, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
A C5+1 business conference was held in Washington, D.C. on November 6, marking the 10th anniversary of the partnership between the Central Asian countries and the United States. The event brought together representatives of governments, national companies, and leading businesses from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and the United States. The main theme of the conference
With the support of the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan, the owner of Kazakhstan’s Alatau City Bank, Vyacheslav Kim, and DDH (North America) Inc. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding valued at 300 million US dollars. The purpose of the agreement is to strengthen strategic partnership in the field of digital
For the first time in the history of Uzbekistan, a study was conducted on the complete reading and analysis of human genes, the Zamin.uz website reported. As a result of this scientific work, conducted by scientists of the Center for Advanced Technologies, dozens of new genetic changes in Uzbeks, previously unrecorded in the world, were
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
