From May 24 to July 12, the 65th International Flower Festival will be held in Namangan. As part of the festival, organized by the Tourism Committee and the Namangan regional administration (khokimiyat), more than 150 events of international and national scale are planned, including cultural and educational programs, theatrical and circus performances, gala concerts, fashion
Central Asia is a region prone to disasters, and earthquakes remain among its greatest risks. In April 1966, Tashkent was struck by a devastating earthquake that left more than 300,000 people displaced. Although the city was rebuilt and transformed into the modern Tashkent we know today, the remnants of that tragedy continue to endure. Other
Foreign visitors encounter critical difficulties using public Wi-Fi networks in Uzbekistan. The main obstacle is the mandatory SMS authorization using a local phone number, which makes internet access unavailable immediately upon arrival, Tashkent Today reports. Key problems: • Tashkent Airport: Connecting to the Wi-Fi network requires an Uzbek SIM card, which tourists do not have
On April 25, in Bishkek, energy and water ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan discussed ensuring the sustainable and coordinated operation of Central Asia’s water and energy systems during the upcoming 2026 growing season. The meeting focused on mutual obligations of each country. The ministers noted the historical interconnectedness of national energy systems, with
A meeting was held last week between the Advisor to the President of Uzbekistan on Environmental Issues and Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, Aziz Abdukhakimov and the Minister of Ecology and Environment of China, Huang Runqiu. The parties discussed environmental cooperation between Uzbekistan and China, with a focus on the
At its 82nd session in Bangkok last week, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), by consensus of its 52 member States, approved a resolution on the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Digital Solutions Centre for Sustainable Development in Almaty, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry said. According to Kazakhstan’s Permanent
The United States and Tajikistan have signed a five-year bilateral health cooperation Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), marking the first such MOU concluded under the Trump Administration’s America First Global Health Strategy (AFGHS) in South and Central Asia, according to the U.S. Embassy in Dushanbe. Working with Congress, the Department of State intends to provide $38 million in U.S. global health assistance through this bilateral
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has formed a regional investment portfolio in the field of climate and ecology in Central Asia and intends to expand it, Evgeny Vinokurov, Deputy Chairman of the Bank’s Management Board, said at the Regional Ecological Summit 2026 in Astana on April 22. For 20 years, the Eurasian Development Bank has
As sustainable development is increasingly shaped not only by environmental factors but also by intellectual and technological ones, a new type of leadership is emerging – leaders capable of rethinking the future of education. Elena Savchenko, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, and Rector of the International University of Kyrgyzstan, is one of such figures. Her
On April 23, the first Destination Karakalpakstan 2026 forum was held in the city of Nukus, aimed at promoting the tourism potential of Uzbekistan, including the Republic of Karakalpakstan, on the international stage, according to the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan. The forum was organized by the Tourism Committee in cooperation with the Council of Ministers
On 23 April, high-level representatives of the European Union, its EU Member States, the Central Asian countries and international financial institutions convened in Astana, Kazakhstan, for the Team Europe Initiative (TEI) High-Level Meeting on Water, Energy and Climate Change in Central Asia, the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Kazakhstan reported. Participants
At the Regional Environmental Summit (RES) in Astana on April 22, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan and the NBSAP Accelerator Partnership, convened a high-level plenary session titled “Central Asia Initiative – Harmony with Nature for Sustainable Development of the Region,”
The Regional Ecological Summit 2026 (RES), under the theme “A Shared Vision for a Sustainable Future,” has commenced in the capital of Kazakhstan. The event is aimed at developing a comprehensive policy framework and practical instruments for the protection, restoration and shared use of ecosystems, water and land resources, as well as for the conservation
The Kazakhstan Low-Altitude Economy (KazLAE) Industrial Research Center was officially opened at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Almaty on April 17. The Center was designed as an innovative platform for developing unmanned aviation, aero-mobility, and intelligent control systems. It will develop digital solutions, conduct joint research in artificial intelligence and industrial technologies, and train highly
On April 23–24, the international gastronomic festival “99 Dishes from Aral Fish” will take place at the Karateren ethno-tourism complex, located in the Takhtakupyr district of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, the Uzbek Tourism Committee announced. The event aims to widely promote the unique potential of the Aral Sea region’s gastronomic tourism on the international stage,
Uzbekistan will hold an international running marathon titled “In the Footsteps of Alexander the Great” in order to widely promote Uzbekistan’s sports tourism potential on the international stage, enhance the attractiveness of its regions, and increase the flow of both foreign and domestic tourists, the country’s Tourism Committee has announced. The marathon will begin on
A project to construct a new Silk Road Museum in Samarkand was considered at a meeting chaired by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on April 17. The museum’s exhibition will bring together more than 6,000 unique exhibits, including archaeological materials and works of fine and applied art. The museum will span 9 hectares and include spaces for
On April 14 in Tokyo, Kyrgyz Minister of Labor, Social Security and Migration Kanat Sagynbayev met with Hideharu Maruyama, Commissioner of the Immigration Services Agency of Japan to discuss the current state and prospects of Kyrgyz-Japanese cooperation in labor migration, specifically the Specified Skilled Worker program attracting foreign workers to fill labor shortages in certain
The Delegation of the European Union to Turkmenistan, in partnership with the Embassy of France in Turkmenistan, the French Institute in Turkmenistan, and the Embassy of Ukraine in Turkmenistan, opened the exhibition “The Worst Anniversary Ever” at the Nadar Gallery of the French Institute in Turkmenistan on 13 April. The exhibition will remain open to
Tajikistan has set a quota for recruiting migrant workers from Afghanistan, TOLOnews reports with reference to Tajik media. According to reports, Tajikistan has approved the recruitment of 520 Afghan workers for the current year, of whom 420 will be employed in the capital, Dushanbe. Tajik media report that Tajikistan plans to recruit nearly 5,500 foreign