On February 24, the UK announced new sanctions targeting those who continue to aid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions target Russia’s military machine and entities in third countries who support it. In particular, the UK has imposed sanctions on the Kyrgyzstan-based OJSC Keremet Bank for its alleged role in supporting Russia’s war machine. On
In 2024, 98.9% of all Kazakhstanis had access to centralized water supply services. Of them, 99.4% of urban and 97.8% of rural residents are provided with quality drinking water supply, according to the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation. In 2020, 93.8% of Kazakhstanis had access to drinking water supply, in 2021 – 95.6%, in
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
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced the launch of a new initiative aimed at strengthening the handicraft value chain in Kyrgyzstan as part of the Aid for Trade project. This project is designed to enhance the production and export potential of Kyrgyzstan’s traditional felt and leather products (handicrafts), which have growing demand in both foreign markets
On February 19, in Amman, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan. Tokayev said that the purpose of his visit was to give additional momentum to bilateral relations, friendship, and trade and economic ties. “I believe that we share common views and assessments of the processes taking place
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
A public-private partnership agreement on the “Trans-Eurasian Route” railway project was signed in Bishkek on February 19 between the National Investment Agency under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzstan’s national railway company Kyrgyz Temir Zholu, and US-based consortium All American Rail Group Global Infrastructure Partner LLC, the National Investment Agency announced. The project will
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan on February 18 hosted a briefing for representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in the country and the media to highlight the advantages of newly introduced visa categories: Neo Nomad Visa, Digital Nomad Visa, and Residence Visa. Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko emphasized that the introduction of these
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,
Turkmenistan’s Ambassador to Belgium Sapar Palvanov held a meeting with Euronews Chairman of the Board of Directors Pedro Vargas David. The parties discussed promising areas of cooperation, including the promotion of tourism and cultural exchange, coverage of significant events in Turkmenistan, and the possibility of including the country in existing Euronews programs, Turkmenportal reported. During
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan on February 18 hosted the signing of an agreement for the implementation of an investment project for the production and deep processing of non-ferrous metals in Kazakhstan with China’s East Hope Group, a leading global manufacturer of non-ferrous metals, semiconductor technologies, and industrial innovations. The signing ceremony was
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Government of Uzbekistan have signed two agreements to enhance the country’s education and road infrastructure sectors. The signing took place on the sidelines of the Al-Ula Conference for Emerging Market Economies between IsDB Group Chairman, Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, and Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Economy
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,
Kazakhstan’s national atomic company, Kazatomprom, has announced the signing of the first-ever contract with Switzerland-based Axpo Power AG, alongside Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt AG (KKL AG), for the supply of Kazakh natural uranium concentrates for the energy needs of Switzerland’s Beznau and Leibstadt nuclear power plants. Vladislav Baiguzhin, Chief Commercial Officer of Kazatomprom commented that the expansion
On February 17, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Emir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Sabah held negotiations in the city of Al Kuwait. The leaders adopted a joint statement on the development of Uzbek-Kuwaiti relations of comprehensive partnership. The talks focused on developing and strengthening Uzbek-Kuwaiti relations of friendship and multifaceted partnership
According to local executive bodies, in 2024 Kazakhstan introduced water-saving technologies on 158,000 hectares of agricultural land. Sprinkler irrigation systems were used on 56,000 hectares of farmland and drip irrigation systems on 44,000 hectares. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev earlier criticized the slow progress in adopting water-saving practices, citing annual water losses of up to 40% in
Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov on February 14 laid the foundation stone for the construction of a new airport complex at the International Airport of Osh, the country’s second-largest city. According to the presidential press service, the new terminal will have more comfortable conditions for passengers, including a spacious hall, modern check-in areas, a food court,
On February 15, prior to an official visit of Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Kuwait, an Uzbek-Kuwaiti business forum took place in Al-Kuwait, the capital of this country. The event was attended by leaders from ministries and agencies, industry associations, and representatives from over 100 major companies and financial institutions from both countries. The delegations
Kazakhstan continues expanding the geography of passenger flights and attracting more foreign low-cost airlines to the country’s air transportation market. The Kazakh Ministry of Transport has announced that from May 14, 2025, Indian low-cost airline Indigo will open a new route between Astana and New Delhi. Flights will be operated 3 times a week on
According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Construction, in 2024, a total of 18.96 million square meters of housing were built in Kazakhstan, a record figure since the country’s independence. This translated into 172,089 new homes (both individual houses and apartments). Of them, 39,064 were individual houses. The city of Shymkent, as well as the
