On March 11, Tashkent hosted the “High-Level Policy Dialogue: Scaling up Financing and Investment for Environmental Goals in Central Asia,” organized by the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of Uzbekistan, the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection of Germany (BMUV), the European Bank for Reconstruction and
A delegation of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) met with representatives of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) at the IRENA headquarters in Abu Dhabi on March 11. During the meeting, the organizations discussed cooperation in the development of renewable energy in Central Asia within the framework of two platforms – IRENAClimate Investment Platform (CIP) and IRENA Energy Transition Accelerator
Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Japan Yerlan Baudarbek-Kozhatayev on March 5 held a meeting with Hiromasa Nakano, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan. The Ambassador introduced the current status and prospects of the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR or Middle Corridor) as one of the key multimodal transit corridors connecting
The newly appointed European Union Special Representative for Central Asia, Ambassador Eduards Stiprais, paid working visit to Turkmenistan on 4-6 March. He arrived in Ashgabat just three days after his appointment, underlining the importance the European Union places on its engagement with Turkmenistan and Central Asia, the EU Delegation to Turkmenistan reported. During his visit,
On 4-6 March, the Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA 10), which is funded by the European Union (EU), successfully conducted a regional workshop “Women for Development of Central Asian Border Regions” in Bukhara, Uzbekistan. This initiative underscores the EU’s commitment to enhancing gender equality and empowering female professionals within state agencies across Central Asia,
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) recently hosted the final event of the “Drops of the Future” workshop series. The event brought together young leaders, experts, and key stakeholders from Central Asia and beyond to explore collaborative and consensus-driven approaches to finding sustainable solutions for water, energy and food systems. The goal was
On March 1, Laziz Kudratov, the Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan, held a meeting with a delegation led by Afghan Minister of Industry and Commerce Nuruddin Azizi, who was visiting the Termez International Trade Centre in Uzbekistan’s Surkhandarya region, at the border with Afghanistan. The meeting discussed trade and economic relations between
On February 27, Kyrgyzstan officially launched the preparation of its first Biennial Transparency Report (BTR1) under the Enhanced Transparency Framework of the Paris Agreement. This significant event, organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), marks an important step
The first Uzbekistan Country Platform Roundtable of the year convened on February 25, reaffirming the joint commitment of the government and international partners to advance the implementation of the Uzbekistan-2030 Strategy. Over 90 representatives reviewed the progress made towards green growth and public finance management (PFM) and discussed an assessment of agriculture subsidies, while highlighting
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan will build a new border checkpoint, Kazinform reported quoting Kazakh Minister of Transport Marat Karabayev as saying following the meeting of the Kazakh and Kyrgyz prime ministers in Astana on February 24. According to Karabayev, in 2024, the volume of automobile transportations between the two countries reached 2.4 million tons of cargo,
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov on February 24 held meetings with senior officials from Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ministry of Petroleum Resources. These discussions as part of the official visit of the Kazakh delegation were aimed to enhance economic and political cooperation between the
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
