On February 17, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received the United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy to Central Asia and Azerbaijan Lord John Alderdice, who arrived in Uzbekistan on a working visit. The parties discussed further expansion of the Uzbek–British partnership, primarily in the trade and economic sphere, emphasizing the dynamic development of political dialogue and
Motor transport plays a significant role in Kazakhstan’s cargo transportation, including for export and transit. It accounts for about a third of all freight traffic and is only second to rail transport. The fastest growing freight traffic by automobile transport is through Kazakhstan’s border with China. A total of 639,600 vehicles crossed the border with
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,
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,
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,
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
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
The European Commission has approved Kyrgyz honey for export to the European Union and added it to the EU’s official import list, according to the Delegation of the European Union to the Kyrgyz Republic. The decision confirms that Kyrgyzstan’s control and certification system meets EU standards and opens new market opportunities for local honey producers.
Late in January, over 200 participants in the STEM field – 100 in each country – participated in a mentored event called the Act in Space Hackathon. This year for the first time in Central Asia, the European Union (EU) through the Connectivity for Central Asia (C4CA) program organized the national editions in Kazakhstan and
Erdenet Kasymov, Director of the Department of Tourism at Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce, believes that tourism is a sector where regional integration in Central Asia could yield rapid and visible results. He presented a vision for the region as a unified tourism destination, speaking at the second B5+1 Business Forum of Central Asia
At the beginning of 2026, Uzbekistan ranked 75th out of 137 countries in terms of the average IQ, according to the International IQ Test portal. The country’s average IQ is 96.51, Tashkent Today reported. This represents a drop in the ranking compared to 2025, when Uzbekistan ranked 69th. Among the Central Asian countries, the rankings
The last ethnic Karakalpak with Uzbek citizenship who was facing possible extradition to Uzbekistan has left Kazakhstan for a Western country, according to the Kazakhstan International Bureau for Human Rights and Rule of Law. Karakalpak activist Rasul Zhumaniyazov was detained in Astana last March at the request of Uzbekistan. Zhumaniyazov had received offers from Tashkent
On February 4, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev took part in the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial Conference at the invitation of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The event was attended by representatives from more than 50 countries and executives of Kazakhstan’s mining companies, and featured remarks by U.S. Vice President JD
