Afghanistan’s economy is gradually recovering, but at a slow pace, and the outlook remains uncertain due to fiscal pressures, a widening trade deficit, and persistent poverty and food insecurity, says the World Bank’s latest Afghanistan Development Update. Afghanistan’s GDP is estimated to have grown 2.5 percent in 2024, marking the second consecutive year of economic expansion.
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
On April 4, the first-ever Central Asia-European Union Summit was held in Samarkand, chaired by the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev. The EU was represented by the President of the European Council António Costa and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. Together with President Mirziyoyev, Central Asian countries were represented by
Central Asia and the European Union are linked by deep historical roots, coinciding interests, and a common desire for close partnership, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said in an exclusive interview to Euronews on the eve of the first Central Asia-European Union summit in Samarkand on April 3-4. According to Mirziyoyev, the Central Asia-European Union format of cooperation
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 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 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 Council of the European Union (EU) has announced that the President of the European Council, António Costa, along with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, will be travelling to Uzbekistan for the first-ever EU-Central Asia summit on 3-4 April 2025, with the participation of the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
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 integration of Central Asian states and the formation of a common space for cooperation have always been considered an inevitable process that will sooner or later determine the main trends in the region’s development. The very understanding of Central Asia, based on historical, cultural and religious commonalities, is not about creating new but rather
The United States and Armenia on January 14 signed a strategic partnership agreement expanding cooperation in security and several of areas as Yerevan seeks to distance itself from traditional ally Russia, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reported. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan signed the agreement in Washington. The United States is “working
The government of Brazil, which holds the presidency of BRICS in 2025, on January 6 announced the formal entry of Indonesia into BRICS as a full member. The BRICS is an informal group of countries that originally consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. BRICS has recently expanded its membership to include Egypt,
Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, has been included in CNN Travel’s list of 25 destinations that are particularly worth visiting in 2025. According to CNN Travel, Central Asia’s dramatic landscapes and unique urban centers are proving to be particularly alluring. Leading the way is Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, which has become the region’s new “Capital of Cool”.
The Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock said that China will construct three standard cold storage facilities with a capacity of 1,500 tons each for preserving fresh fruit and vegetables in Afghanistan, TOLOnews reported. According to the ministry, Chinese diplomats have announced that engineers from China would be sent to Afghanistan to build these
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum has signed a contract for the construction of a major cement production plant in Logar with a Chinese company that also has an Afghan partner, TOLOnews reported. Hedayatullah Badri, acting minister of mines and petroleum, stated during the contract signing ceremony that approximately $145 million will be invested in
The Hertfordshire Press Award for outstanding achievements in shaping and promoting the literary heritage of the Eurasian countries in the international space took place on November 29 during the 8th international festival Eurasian Creative Week in Greenock, Scotland. The festival events and award ceremony brought together creative people and diplomats from 15 countries. Literary figures
From 28 to 30 November, the XIII Eurasian Creative Week took place in Greenock, Scotland. The event brought together artists, writers, poets, diplomats and creative figures from 15 countries: Canada, France, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Israel, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Scotland, England, and Ukraine. The festival included exhibitions, book presentations, an award ceremony, and a film screening.
The Global Coalition on Primary Health Care (PHC), announced by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in Astana in October 2023, has started its work in Geneva. In this connection, foreign ambassadors and deputy permanent representatives last week welcomed the initiative of Kazakhstan and discussed ways to promote it. The Coalition aims to reorient global health
Director Carrie Kendall from Great Britain presented her new short documentary film, From Havering to Burabay, about Kazakhstan’s Burabay National Park. Created as part of her participation in the international festival “Voices of Friends: Poetry & Art,” the film became a real cultural bridge between the two countries. The film was shot over the course
At the Kazakhstan-Serbian Business Forum held in Belgrade on November 12, Ulugbek Orazov, deputy general director for commerce of KTZ Express JSC (a subsidiary of Kazakhstan’s national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy), presented the company’s key initiatives aimed at developing infrastructure along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle Corridor, which
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