The Council of the European Union (EU) has appointed Mr Eduards Stiprais as the new EU Special Representative for Central Asia. Stiprais will take up his duties on 1 March 2025 with an initial mandate of two years, succeeding Terhi Hakala. According to the European Council, the task of the new Special Representative will be to promote relations between
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced the launch of a new initiative aimed at strengthening the handicraft value chain in Kyrgyzstan as part of the Aid for Trade project. This project is designed to enhance the production and export potential of Kyrgyzstan’s traditional felt and leather products (handicrafts), which have growing demand in both foreign markets
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan on February 18 hosted a briefing for representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in the country and the media to highlight the advantages of newly introduced visa categories: Neo Nomad Visa, Digital Nomad Visa, and Residence Visa. Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko emphasized that the introduction of these
Turkmenistan’s Ambassador to Belgium Sapar Palvanov held a meeting with Euronews Chairman of the Board of Directors Pedro Vargas David. The parties discussed promising areas of cooperation, including the promotion of tourism and cultural exchange, coverage of significant events in Turkmenistan, and the possibility of including the country in existing Euronews programs, Turkmenportal reported. During
Kazakhstan continues expanding the geography of passenger flights and attracting more foreign low-cost airlines to the country’s air transportation market. The Kazakh Ministry of Transport has announced that from May 14, 2025, Indian low-cost airline Indigo will open a new route between Astana and New Delhi. Flights will be operated 3 times a week on
On February 13, the first meeting of the Kyrgyz-British Strategic Dialogue was held in London, chaired by Deputy Foreign Minister of the Kyrgyz Republic Meder Abakirov and the UK Minister of State for Europe and Central Asia Stephen Doughty, the Kyrgyz Foreign Ministry reported. During the meeting, delegations discussed key areas of cooperation between the
King’s College London recently hosted the first-ever summit of the Central Asian Youth Alliance (CAYA) – a landmark event bringing together young people from Central Asian countries, ambassadors, representatives of diplomatic missions, and experts in education and international cooperation, the Kyrgyz Embassy in London reported. The Minister of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic,
Turkmenistan’s state news agency TDH reported that on February 10, the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (People’s Council) of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov had a telephone conversation with President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Masoud Pezeshkian. Berdimuhamedov informed about the agreement with Türkiye’s BOTAŞ company on the transit of
A freight train, loaded with communication equipment and other products, departed from southwest China’s Chongqing city on February 10 and is expected to arrive in Afghanistan in 12 to 15 days, Xinhua reported. This marked the inauguration of a new direct freight train route, which passes through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, between Chongqing and Afghanistan. In
On February 10, a four-party working meeting was held in the format of a video conference to discuss the draft intergovernmental Agreement on the establishment of the Caspian Sea–Black Sea international transport route, the Turkmen Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported. The meeting was attended by heads and representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and other
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China have signed a memorandum facilitating trips of organized tourist groups from China to Kyrgyzstan. The document will contribute to the development of Kyrgyzstan’s tourism industry, stimulating the country’s economic growth. According to the Ministry of Economy and Commerce,
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the British Embassy in Turkmenistan last week co-hosted the eighth Coordination Meeting of the Development Partners Climate Group at the UN Building in Ashgabat, aiming to accelerate Turkmenistan’s progress in meeting its international commitments under the Paris Agreement, UNDP Turkmenistan reported. Representatives from UN Agencies, diplomatic missions, and
According to official statistics, the number of individuals who crossed the border of Kyrgyzstan in 2024 exceeded 16.9 million, including 2.5 million citizens of Kazakhstan — 120,000 more than in 2023. The figures were revealed by Deputy Director of the Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kyyal
According to the Afghan Ministry of Industry and Commerce, during the past ten months of the current solar year (which began in March 2024), trade between Afghanistan and five Central Asian countries reached $1.696 billion, including $112 million of Afghan exports and $1.584 billion of imports, TOLOnews reported. Afghanistan exported to the Central Asian countries
A two-day meeting of representatives of the Railways of the Islamic Republic of Iran, national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), Russian Railways, and Turkmenistan’s railway company Turkmendemiryollary ended in Almaty on January 30. According to KTZ, the meeting summed up the results of railway cargo transportation across the territory of Kazakhstan via the Bolashak
On January 29, under UN Resident Coordinator and the technical leadership of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic started preparation of Kyrgyzstan’s new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), known as NDCs 3.0. These plans set emission reduction targets for 2035 that align with
The first trilateral meeting, attended by representatives from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, and a Turkish company, was held in Kabul to initiate the practical implementation of the TAP-500 electricity project, TOLOnews reported. The TAP-500 project aims to transfer high-voltage electricity from Turkmenistan to Pakistan through the Afghan provinces of Herat, Farah, Helmand, and Kandahar. According to the
On January 27, Kyrgyzstan’s Minister of Energy Taalaibek Ibrayev, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Energy Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov, Kazakhstan’s Deputy Minister of Energy Sungat Yesimkhanov, and the World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia Tatiana Proskuryakova met in Tashkent to discuss further steps in the construction of the Kambarata-1 Hydropower Plant (HPP) in Kyrgyzstan. This major regional
Afghanistan Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan China Rail Corridor Update The Afghan Ministry of Public Works said that the quadrilateral rail-economic corridor agreement between Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China has been extended for the year 2025, TOLOnews reported. Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, the ministry’s spokesperson, stated that the deputy minister of public works signed the agreement during his visit
On January 20, Laziz Kudratov, the Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan, met with Dr. Akihiko Tanaka, the President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The Uzbek minister highly appreciated JICA’s significant contribution to the dynamic development of the Uzbek-Japanese strategic partnership, as well as the Agency’s steadfast commitment to the implementation
