Uzbekistan will host the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) 59th Annual Meeting on 3 to 6 May 2026. The meeting will be held in the historic city of Samarkand, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. This is the second time that Uzbekistan will host the ADB Annual Meeting, following the successful 43rd
More than 120 passengers went on a trip on the tourist train Jibek Joly on April 30. The tourist train was organized by Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the country’s national railway company, with the assistance of Uzbekistan Railways, the Tourism Committee and the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan, and Kazakh Tourism. The trip allows tourists to
The inaugural dialogue of participants in the Export Accelerator Program—implemented by the Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan—was held in Tashkent on May 2. Launched in September 2024, the Export Accelerator has already facilitated the entry of 29 entrepreneurs into international markets. To date, these participants have achieved export deliveries totaling over $14
On May 1, a grand opening ceremony was held in Khiva for the Arda Khiva International Tourist Center. The new complex is home to 17 hotels and guesthouses, 9 restaurants, open-air and indoor aqua parks, a 3,000-seat amphitheater, 5 cinemas and concert halls, exhibition pavilions, 70 retail stores, 300 market stalls, 11 artisan houses, an
On April 30, the U.S. government deported over 100 Uzbekistani, Kazakhstani, and Kyrgyzstani citizens present illegally in the United States on a charter flight organized by Uzbekistan’s government, the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan said. This operation, the first in which a U.S. partner proactively provided a dedicated flight to repatriate its citizens, exemplifies the productive
The UN General Assembly in New York has adopted the resolution initiated by Uzbekistan titled “Decade of Action on Afforestation and Reforestation in Accordance with Sustainable Forest Management”. The resolution was co-sponsored by over 80 countries representing all regions of the world, including Central Asian countries, Azerbaijan, Russia, Brazil, Austria, Germany, Finland, Portugal, India, Iran,
The Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan on April 28 launched five new civil society projects under its “EU Support to Civil Society Organisations in Uzbekistan” initiative at the event in Tashkent. With a combined value of nearly EUR 2.9 million — co-funded by the EU and its partner organisations — the new initiatives
On April 28, the plenary session of the fifth exhibition “INNOPROM. Central Asia – 2025” was held in Tashkent. INNOPROM. Central Asia is an annual international industrial exhibition held in the capital of Uzbekistan since 2021. “INNOPROM. Central Asia – 2025” covers an area of 18,000 square meters, with 4,143 square meters dedicated to Uzbekistan’s
The 6th meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Central Asia–China format was held in Almaty on April 26, attended by the foreign ministers of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu, China Wang Yi, Kyrgyzstan Zheenbek Kulubaev, Tajikistan Sirojiddin Mukhriddin, Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov, and a representative of Turkmenistan. The meeting focused on strengthening political dialog, expanding trade and economic
The 4th meeting of the Uzbek-Chinese Working Group on Investment Cooperation was held in Tashkent on April 24. The meeting reviewed progress made in the investment sector. It was noted that the total volume of bilateral investments exceeded USD 10 billion in 2024, marking a 2.5-fold increase compared to 2023. Key discussion areas included: Strengthening investment and financial
On April 24, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the National Leader of the Turkmen people, Chairman of the Khalk Maslakhaty of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov held talks in Samarkand with the participation of official delegations. The parties discussed issues of further development and strengthening of Uzbek-Turkmen relations of friendship, good-neighborliness and strategic partnership, noting the
On April 23, Laziz Kudratov, the Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan, participated in an international business forum held in Jizzakh. The event was organized as part of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s initiative to actively promote regional investment opportunities. The forum brought together senior representatives from ministries, government agencies, industry associations, and local authorities, along
A kick-off meeting for the regional project “Stakeholder Engagement for Uranium Legacy Remediation in Central Asia” (Phase III) was held in Tashkent on April 17-18. The main purpose of this event was to present and discuss the plans for Phase III of the project with government institutions and national and international partners from three Central
Uzbek writer, cultural figure, and storyteller Gulchekhra-begim Makhmudova invites young readers on a breath-taking journey through time, legend, and imagination with her four-part children’s book series, Adventures of the Spirit of Time, now available in English from Hertfordshire Press. Originally published in Russian between 2021 and 2022, the series quickly won the hearts of readers
Over the past 5 years, Uzbekistan’s electricity production increased by 30% and reached 81.5 billion kilowatt-hours. By 2035 the electricity use in the country will reach 121 billion kilowatt-hours. By 2030 the share of “green” energy in the total generation volume is planned to reach 54%. This was said at a government meeting chaired by
On the 5th and 6th of April, the heart of Karakalpakstan — the city of Nukus — hosted the inaugural Aral Culture Summit, a landmark event bringing together intellectuals, artists, environmentalists, and representatives of international organisations to rethink the role of culture in the age of climate challenges. Where the waves of the Aral Sea
The international exhibition Central Asian Business Expo-2025 was held in the United States, bringing together major international companies, investors, and government representatives. The Uzbek delegation, led by Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov, showcased the country’s ongoing digital transformation and investment potential in the IT sector. Throughout the event, bilateral meetings were conducted with a
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), in partnership with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), is launching an experience-sharing project for energy professionals from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. Named “Supporting Sustainable Energy Development in Central Asia by Expanding Sub-Regional and Cross-Country Cooperation Through the Exchange of Competencies
On April 16, Kuwait hosted the Third Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Strategic Dialogue between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Central Asia. The meeting was attended by the leadership of foreign ministries of Central Asian countries and six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council — the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab
Lusine Aleksanyan is a maxillofacial surgeon and a young author from Armenia. Her book, “And a Butterfly Soared,” was published in 2024 in the UK, following her victory in a literary competition organized by the Eurasian Creative Guild. Here below is an article about this talented person, originally published by OCA Magazine: The best investment
