A presentation of the new 54th issue of OCA Magazine was held in London on March 8th as a part of the Navruz celebration. The event brought together representatives of creative professions and diplomats from the embassies of Central Asian countries. The new issue of the magazine focuses on the economic issues of the region
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
On March 12, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev paid a state visit to France and held talks with President Emmanuel Macron. Following the talks, Mirziyoyev and Macron adopted a Joint Declaration on the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries. Uzbekistan and France also adopted a Cooperation Program in the investment and innovation
On March 11, just prior to the state visit of the President of Uzbekistan to France, a French-Uzbek business forum took place in Paris. The event was attended by leaders from relevant ministries, as well as representatives from about 100 companies, financial institutions, and business organizations from both countries. Addressing the participants, Uzbek Minister of
Between 12 and 18 March, European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela will visit the five Central Asian countries to strengthen the EU-Central Asia partnership ahead of the EU-Central Asia Summit and scale up Global Gateway, the EU’s investment strategy to boost jobs and sustainable economic growth, the Delegation of the European Union to Turkmenistan announced. Commissioner Síkela said: “Central
On March 10, Laziz Kudratov, the Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan, participated in the 6th annual consultations between Uzbekistan and the French Development Agency (AFD). The meeting also included representatives from AFD, Proparco, and Expertise France, as well as leading experts and entrepreneurs. The meeting explored new opportunities for joint economic development
The Uzbek Ministry of Investment, Industry and Trade has announced the successful bilateral implementation of the necessary procedures for the entry into force of the Protocol on Exemptions from the Free Trade Regime to the Agreement between the Government of Uzbekistan and the Government of Turkmenistan. This agreement outlines the primary directions for long-term trade
In the following article published in the latest issue of OCA Magazine, the magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Nick Rowan, analyzes the investment landscape and offers forecasts for the future state of investment in Central Asia and the CIS: Things are moving fast in Central Asia and the former Soviet Union (CIS) countries. The investment landscape has undergone
On March 5, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev attended a meeting of the National Council on Combating Corruption. The meeting analyzed the work carried out on creating corruption-free environment and defined further goals. In his speech, the head of state mentioned that corruption is a serious challenge in the course of reforms. Uzbekistan has taken
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
The Eurasian Creative Guild (ECG), with the support of the Embassy of Uzbekistan in London and ORZU Arts, is organizing a vibrant celebration of Navruz, a spring festival that embodies the rich cultural heritage of Eurasia. This special event will welcome the arrival of spring, a time of renewal and inspiration, and showcase the beauty
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
On February 26, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif held negotiations in Tashkent. The leaders agreed to establish the Supreme Council of Strategic Partnership and hold its first meeting next year. The negotiations focused on expanding trade and economic cooperation. It was noted that in
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 Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $125 million loan to support the Government of Uzbekistan in modernizing water management, improving water security, and increasing access to safe and reliable water in the country. The Climate-Smart Water Management Improvement Project will improve asset management and sustainability of service delivery, while strengthening the institutional capacity of the
A high-ranking delegation of Afghanistan, led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy prime minister for economic affairs, visited Uzbekistan late last week, TOLOnews reported. Mullah Baradar described the visit as productive, stating that during negotiations with Uzbek officials, agreements were reached on expanding trade, importing electricity, exporting Afghanistan’s agricultural products, developing transportation, and constructing a
At a government meeting on February 19, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev listened to proposals for improving energy efficiency in Uzbekistan. In Uzbekistan, energy capacities are consistently increasing in line with the growing needs of the population and the economy. Last year, 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas and 81 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity were produced. According
Archaeologists have found the remains of two medieval cities in the mountains of eastern Uzbekistan, a discovery that could shift our understanding of the ancient Silk Road, as this trade route between the East and West was long believed to have linked lowland cities, BBC News reported in October 2024. But using remote sensing technology,
