Marat Bashimov, a member of the Mazhilis (lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament), has sent a letter to the country’s Prosecutor General Berik Asylov about the need for “extended confiscation.” Bashimov believes that it is time for the Kazakh authorities to tighten legislation on the return of illegally obtained assets, the fight against corruption and money
An inauguration ceremony was held on May 15 in the city of Antalya for the opening of the Manas Park, a symbol of Kyrgyz-Turkish friendship. The park was established as a gesture of deep respect for the rich historical and cultural heritage of the Kyrgyz people, as well as to further strengthen the friendly ties
Kazakhstan and the World Bank have reaffirmed their commitment to joint efforts aimed at the restoration of the North Aral Sea. On May 16, at the Kokaral dam in Kazakhstan’s Kyzylorda region, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov met with Sameh Wahba, the Regional Director for Sustainable Development at the Europe and Central Asia
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a $100 million concessional credit to support Uzbekistan’s efforts to enhance integration of renewable energy into its electricity distribution networks and improve supply reliability in priority regions. Uzbekistan’s Regional Electric Power Networks (REPN) will provide $50 million in co-financing. This marks the World Bank’s first-ever Program-for-Results (PforR) financing in
The European Union is allocating €200,000 to help mitigate the impact of the serious measles situation on the most vulnerable populations, particularly children, in Kyrgyzstan. The funding will benefit around 70,000 people in some of the most affected areas, including the capital of Bishkek and the second most populated city of Osh, according to the
The 8th Meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation between Uzbekistan and Türkiye was held in Tashkent on May 15. As part of the event, the Uzbekistan–Türkiye Business Forum and an industrial exhibition were also organized with the participation of business communities from both countries. The meeting was attended by official delegations
In 2024, Kazakhstan retained its position as a major exporter of mineral resources, particularly crude oil, according to the country’s Ministry of Trade and Integration. In 2024, Kazakhstan’s exports exceeded $81 billion, with crude oil earning $42.9 billion or 52.5% of the country’s exports. Kazakhstan also exported uranium ($4.6 billion), copper and copper cathodes ($4.1
In the southwestern part of Issyk-Kul lake, an initiative to restore the population of goitered gazelles—a rare species listed in the Red Book that had nearly disappeared from the wild in Kyrgyzstan—continues to be implemented. The process of restoring the gazelle population began several years ago, with ongoing efforts to care for the animals, protect their
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union are boosting access to finance for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Central Asia and Mongolia. According to the EBRD, an additional €25 million in EU guarantees will be made available to local partner financial institutions for on-lending to this business segment.
Three films from Uzbekistan have been shortlisted for the 7th ECG Film Festival in London, one of the leading British festivals promoting Central Asian cinema. The screenings will take place on May 26 and 27 at the Lumiere Romford Cinema (The Mercury Shopping Centre, London). This year, the festival received over 100 submissions from 23
The Fund for Digital Initiatives of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB FDI) has issued a grant to Kompas JSC to implement traffic simulation software in Kazakhstan. The project aims to ensure the sustainable development of the urban environment in Astana, the country’s capital characterized by the steady increase in population. Traffic simulation allows using computational
The city of Osh in Kyrgyzstan is joining the EBRD Green Cities programme – a flagship initiative run by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development – with a view to addressing key climate challenges and environmental issues through investment in green urban infrastructure, the EBRD said. The city is set to launch a Green City Action Plan (GCAP),
With the support from international financial organizations, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation is modernizing 1,485 irrigation canals with a total length of over 6,000 km, according to Minister of Water Resources Nurzhan Nurzhigitov. Last year, the ministry completed the reconstruction of 162 canals with a total length of 778 km. By the end
Representatives of railway companies from China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Türkiye met in Tehran on May 12 to develop multilateral cooperation in establishing a transport corridor passing through their countries. According to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, the country’s national railway company, in January-April 2025 container traffic along the China-Iran route via Kazakhstan increased by 2.6
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is providing a financial package of up to US$ 23 million (€20.3 million) to Demir Kyrgyz International Bank (Demir Bank) to support trade and green innovation in Kyrgyzstan. These funds will help to stimulate trade and address pressing environmental issues in a country badly affected
The Taliban government has suspended chess in Afghanistan over gambling concerns. It has also suspended the Afghanistan National Chess Federation (ANCF), Chess.com reports. The Afghan online news service Khaama Press reported on Sunday that the country’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice has banned chess due to “religious considerations.” Chess-related activities in
On May 12 in Astana, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who arrived in Kazakhstan on an official visit. The President noted that the United Arab Emirates is one of Kazakhstan’s key partners, sharing common goals and aspirations. In 2023,
The cultural stage of Ashgabat became the venue for the world premiere of the choreographic and digital show RITUALS—a unique artistic project blending the ancient traditions of Turkmenistan with contemporary dance and digital arts. The event on May 10 marked an important milestone in the development of cultural ties between Europe and Turkmenistan, the Delegation of the
Thirty trade agreements have been signed between the private sectors of Afghanistan and Uzbekistan for a total amount of nearly $50 million, TOLOnews reports. At a bilateral trade connectivity conference, Afghanistan’s deputy minister of industry and commerce, Ahmadullah Zahid stressed the need to resolve trade challenges and increase Afghan exports to Uzbekistan. Davron Vakhabov, president
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture says it continues a large-scale program to diversify agricultural crops area, with about 1 million hectares of farmland diversified across the country in 2025. The program is aimed at expanding the area under highly profitable and in-demand crops, both in the domestic and export markets. The main goal is to reduce
