On April 5, 2026, Tashkent will host the 8th Tashkent International Marathon. This prestigious sporting event, held for eight consecutive years, has become one of the largest sports events in the country. More than 15,000 participants from over 30 countries are expected to take part, the Tourism Committee has announced. The marathon is an international
Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport on March 30 launched a direct passenger route to Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent, the first non-stop passenger service from the southern Chinese city to Central Asia, Xinhua reported. The airport said the route, operated by Uzbekistan Airways, marks its first new international route launched this year. The service will run once a
From May 31 to June 5, 2026, the international exhibition of environmental technologies, Eco Expo Central Asia 2026, will take place in Samarkand. The event will be held in parallel with the 8th Assembly of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), giving it particular significance and ensuring a high level of international participation, Uzbekistan’s National Committee
With the financial support from the European Union, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and European Investment Bank (EIB) have supported the construction and commissioning of a new wastewater treatment plant in Uzgen, Kyrgyzstan. The facility, delivered under the “Rehabilitation of Water Supply and Sewerage Systems in Uzgen” project, will provide 10,000 residents
As part of an official visit to Tashkent on March 30, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Yermek Kosherbayev held talks with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov to discuss further strengthening of Kazakh-Uzbek political, trade, economic, investment, transit-transport, water-energy, and cultural-humanitarian cooperation. Special attention was paid to further development of trade, economic
Kazakhstan has sent a new export batch of wheat flour from its northern city of Kostanay to New York using the infrastructure of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor—a transit route linking China to Europe through Kazakhstan. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the shipment of 24 tons of
Concrete pouring has begun for the foundation slab of the future building of a joint Russian-Kyrgyz secondary school in Bishkek, constructed under an intergovernmental agreement between Russia and Kyrgyzstan, according to the Russian Embassy in Bishkek. Russian Ambassador to Kyrgyzstan Sergey Vakunov and Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Edil Baisalov attended the
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan on 27 March hosted the Closure Workshop of the joint project “Promoting Innovative Decarbonization Solutions through the Joint Crediting Mechanism and Demonstration of Decarbonization Potential of Public Buildings and Public Transport in Uzbekistan.” The initiative, financed by the Government of
The “Kazakhstan–India Pharma Business Meeting” business forum, aimed at developing and deepening Kazakh-Indian cooperation in the pharmaceutical industry, was held on March 27 in Almaty. The forum brought together representatives of leading pharmaceutical companies and organizations, including Acies Pharmaceutical Pvt. Ltd., Abaris Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., Akriti Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd., and AMTEC Health Care Pvt Ltd.,
The final decision on removing Kyrgyzstan’s civil aviation from the European Union’s aviation safety blacklist is expected to be made in May 2026. This was announced by Peter Sorensen, Deputy Head of Unit Aviation Safety at the European Commission, during his meeting with Kyrgyzstan’s Prime Minister Adylbek Kasymaliyev in Bishkek on March 25. The meeting
The EU-Turkmenistan Business Forum, “New Horizons for Connectivity, Investment and Sustainable Growth,” took place on 26 March in Ashgabat. Bringing together more than 200 participants, the Forum convened for the first time high-level policymakers, business leaders from Turkmenistan and the European Union, as well as representatives of international financial institutions and international organisations, to explore
A Kazakh delegation led by First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Ashikbayev participated in the 43rd meeting of UN-Water, held at the headquarters of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome. The Kazakh delegation presented the upcoming Regional Environmental Summit in Astana, as well as plans for international consultations on
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of Emergency Situations, has introduced an innovative technical solution aimed at expanding population coverage by Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for emergency situations, UNDP Uzbekistan has announced. As part of a pilot initiative, special alert broadcast devices have been installed in mosques located near populated
In recent years, the policy of the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, has been aimed at developing the tourism sector as one of the key drivers of the country’s economy. As part of ongoing reforms, visa procedures have been simplified, visa-free regimes have been expanded for citizens of many countries, transport and hotel infrastructure is
On March 24, a meeting was held between the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, Zheenbek Kulubaev, and the Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Feridun Hadi Sinirlioğlu, as part of his first visit to Kyrgyzstan following his appointment. During the meeting, the parties held detailed discussions
The energy sector is a strategic focus of Turkmen-Chinese cooperation, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said in an interview with the Chinese television channel CGTN during his visit to China this month. The text of the interview was published by the Turkmen Foreign Ministry.
Since the beginning of 2026, 3,335 ethnic Kazakhs have returned to Kazakhstan and officially received kandas status, a designation for ethnic Kazakhs returning to their historical homeland. In total, since gaining independence in 1991, 1,168,200 ethnic Kazakhs have resettled in Kazakhstan for permanent residence, according to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection. Almost half of
For Tajikistan, the accelerating loss of glaciers is a deeply existential issue. The country is home to more than 60 percent of Central Asia’s glaciers, which cover around 6 percent of its territory and serve as a critical freshwater source for the region. These glaciers sustain agriculture, hydropower, ecosystems, and the livelihoods of millions of
On March 23–24, the city of Samarkand will host the “Dishes of the East” festival for the first time. The event is organized to widely promote the rich traditions of Eastern cuisine, showcase its unique flavors and cooking culture at the international level, as well as to support the development of gastronomic tourism and increase
The European Union and the International alliance for the protection of heritage (ALIPH) have launched 29 cultural heritage projects across Central Asia to safeguard endangered tangible and intangible heritage from the impact of climate change, following a highly successful Call for Projects that elicited 233 applications. This initiative is co-funded for a total of EUR 1.5 million, wherein
