On November 22, Tashkent hosted the opening of the regional office of the Export-Import Bank of China (China Exim Bank). The ceremony was attended by Yang Dongning, Vice President of China Exim Bank; Yu Jun, Ambassador of China to Uzbekistan; Ilzat Kasimov, Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry, and Trade of Uzbekistan; and representatives from the business
Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has fired several top officials in the State Security Service (SSS) and Interior Ministry in a sweeping reshuffle following an assassination attempt last month on a close ally of his eldest daughter, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. Abdusalom Azizov, the head of the State Security Service (SSS) and Alijon Ashurov, the head
Soltan Achilova, a veteran journalist and former RFE/RL correspondent in Turkmenistan, was forcibly hospitalized in Ashgabat on November 20 in what appears to be a move by the government to prevent her from flying to Geneva to receive an international award, RFE/RL’s Current Time reported. According to the Chronicle of Turkmenistan website, four men in medical gowns
Chairman of the Management Board of JSC National Company Kazakh Invest Yerzhan Yelekeyev held a meeting with Li Yantao, the founder of Qingdao Wanlin Food Co., Ltd, to discuss the company’s plans to build a plant for the production of dehydrated onions in Kazakhstan. Wanlin specializes in the production of food products, particularly deep processing of agricultural products. Wanlin representatives
The Embassy of Kazakhstan in the U.S. on November 19 hosted an event on Capitol Hill to discuss the prospects of repealing the Jackson-Vanik Amendment in relation to Kazakhstan. The discussions involved members of Congress, U.S. State Department officials, diplomats, business and expert community, the Kazakh Foreign Ministry reported. Opening the event, Ambassador of Kazakhstan
The Anti-Corruption Agency of Uzbekistan in partnership with the European Union (EU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Korea’s Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), and the UNDP Seoul Policy Center on November 15 held an event to present the results of the impact assessment of reporting on corruption cases and a draft law to
On November 20, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev paid a state visit to Hungary and held talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Emphasizing that Hungary is a reliable strategic partner of Kazakhstan in the European Union, Tokayev said that the main goal of his visit was to “give new impetus to our cooperation”. Tokayev noted
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on November 19 handed over laboratory equipment valued at $205,000 to the Plant Protection and Quarantine Agency (PPQA) of Uzbekistan in a ceremony held in Tashkent. This donation is part of USAID’s ongoing support to strengthen Uzbekistan’s agricultural health infrastructure. The new equipment, featuring advanced technology for secure
Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic have pledged to strengthen economic cooperation between their countries during Tokayev’s first visit to Serbia as the Central Asian country’s president, RFE/RL’s Balkan Service reported. At a joint press conference on November 19, Tokayev highlighted the commitment of both nations to expand their bilateral relations, focusing
To create a Horse Breeding Institute in Kazakhstan in the shortest possible time was a task set by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at the first forum of agricultural workers, held on November 15 in Astana. Fulfilling the task, the Kazakh Research Institute of Horse Breeding and Forage Production has been established in Aktobe, the Ministry of
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is helping to improve water security and ensure a sustainable water supply in the Kyrgyz Republic by providing up to €17 million for infrastructure upgrades in the north of the country. The financial package consists of a Bank loan of up to €7.6 million and a similar-sized
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $250 million policy-based loan to support the Government of Uzbekistan’s efforts to strengthen institutional frameworks for climate transition, enhance links and interaction of climate change adaptation priorities, and accelerate climate change mitigation actions. The Accelerating the Climate Transition Program will support the Government of Uzbekistan in three reform areas:
According to the Open Doors report, a comprehensive resource on international student mobility, the number of international students in the United States reached an all-time high of more than 1.1 million (1,126,690) during the 2023/2024 academic year—a 7% increase from the previous year. Students from Uzbekistan also contributed significantly to this growth, with an 11.9%
Turkmenistan remains the only state in Central Asia with no free economic zones operating in the country. Although the Law on Free Economic Zones (FEZs) was enacted in Turkmenistan in October 2017, no free economic zones are known to be in operation, according to the U.S. Department of State’s 2024 Investment Climate Statements: Turkmenistan. The
Tajikistan may join a green corridor between Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Azerbaijan, Tajik Minister of Energy and Water Resources Daler Juma said during the COP29 summit in Baku. “This is a very interesting project, although our colleagues have not yet approached us with an official proposal. It is obvious that such initiatives are of great importance
The U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan announced a new partnership with the Cultural Heritage Agency of Uzbekistan and Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation to support the conservation and restoration of the Sher-Dor Madrasah in Samarkand. The proposal submitted by the Cultural Heritage Agency of Uzbekistan was selected during a global competition and constitutes the largest
Kazakhstan’s national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) said that a pilot tourist train, Jibek Joly (Silk Road), will depart on November 16 from Almaty on the route Almaty-Turkestan-Tashkent-Almaty. The duration of the tour will be 5 days — from November 16 to 20. A total of 115 tourists will go on the first trip,
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
On November 13, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held a government meeting on the development of the industry of rare and rare earth metals. Kazakhstan is home to one of the world’s three full-cycle plants for the production of beryllium and scandium, and one of the world’s four tantalum and niobium production facilities. According to
