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
Two years ago, Kazakhstan launched the project of Alatau City, intended to become a platform for the implementation of advanced technologies, a magnet for investors, and a generator of public wealth. Economist Aidar Alibayev shared his opinion on the mega-project’s prospects with Orda.kz. “How did the idea of Alatau City appear? Initially, there was talk
Alexander Kachkurkin, a 25-year-old DevOps engineer and IT developer who had been living in Almaty for the past few years, has been deported from Kazakhstan to Russia, where he was detained right upon the plane’s arrival on treason charges, the rights project Первый отдел (Department One) reported. Kachkurkin was born and raised in Crimea. After
South Korea may suspend the issuance of visas for Uzbekistan citizens if the share of illegal migrants reaches 10%, according to Alisher Abdusalomov, the Ambassador of Uzbekistan to South Korea, Tashkent Today reported. Currently, 9% of Uzbek citizens in Korea stay there illegally. The Ambassador emphasized that many Uzbeks who arrive in Korea for study
The World Health Organization (WHO) has clarified media reports saying that Uzbekistan has lost its measles-free status, and explained that measles transmission has resumed in the country since 2019, while rubella elimination status remains in place, Daryo reports. WHO’s conclusions are based on evaluations by the European Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination,
Kazakhstan has been ranked among the countries with the lowest national cuisine score in the world, according to the World Population Review, which published a ranking of the cuisines of 99 countries. The ranking was an attempt to answer the question: What country has the best food? In 2025, Kazakhstan scored 3.9 points, ranking 92nd.
Uzbekistan has been officially recognized by the organization ASIA Records as the Asian country with the most UNESCO-listed Islamic historic cities, according to the Uzbek Tourism Committee. Representatives of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan and the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Malaysia took part in the award ceremony held in Kuala Lumpur. Under this recognition, Samarkand,
