The European Union Delegation to Turkmenistan and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan last week held a joint press briefing to review the results of EU-Turkmenistan cooperation in 2025 and to outline strategic priorities for 2026. EU Ambassador to Turkmenistan, Beata Peksa, underlined that 2025 delivered tangible results across priority sectors including connectivity, green
The IshKadr Academy Digital Skills Development Center has officially opened in the Khazarasp district of Uzbekistan’s Khorezm region. The center was established within the framework of the joint project of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) “Empowering Youth to Embrace the Digital Economy and Digital Entrepreneurship,”
Uzbekistan ranked 104th out of 123 countries in the EF English Proficiency Index 2025, the world’s largest ranking of countries and regions by English skills based on test results of 2.2 million adults, Tashkent Today reported. Uzbekistan’s score 429 is significantly below the global average score of 488. Compared to the previous year, the country lowered
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry of Kyrgyzstan have launched a new project to strengthen climate‑resilient agricultural value chains and support 17,000 smallholder farmers in southern regions of Kyrgyzstan. The project is supported with $4.5 million from the government of Japan, according to WFP
Construction of a modern cable car system has begun at the Silk Road Samarkand tourist complex. The project aims to further enhance the region’s tourism appeal and create convenient, modern transport infrastructure for visitors, according to the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan. The total length of the cable lines will be 1,700 meters. The system will
UTK International Logistics Co. Ltd., a joint venture established in China with the participation of Uzbekistan’s Uztemiryulkonteyner JSC, has launched the first pilot container train from China to Tajikistan. This project is a practical step toward implementation of agreements aimed at deepening regional cooperation, reached by presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan in Dushanbe in
A working visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Washington D.C. on February 18 began with a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. They discussed bilateral trade and economic cooperation, noting that the United States is one of Uzbekistan’s key partners. Bilateral trade has exceeded $1 billion, and around 340 American
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
