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
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan, in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan and Forestry and Wildlife Committee of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan with financial support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), is launching a project aimed at supporting the resilience of agricultural production and conserving ecosystems
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 newly appointed European Union Special Representative for Central Asia, Ambassador Eduards Stiprais, paid working visit to Turkmenistan on 4-6 March. He arrived in Ashgabat just three days after his appointment, underlining the importance the European Union places on its engagement with Turkmenistan and Central Asia, the EU Delegation to Turkmenistan reported. During his visit,
In 2025, Kazakhstan plans to build 1,953 km of irrigation canals to provide water to 256,000 hectares of farmland, Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov announced at a government meeting on March 4. This year, as part of the first phase of the Water Resources Management Program for 2024-2030, the Ministry of Water
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 UN General Assembly has unanimously adopted a resolution on the establishment of the UN Regional Centre for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Central Asia and Afghanistan. The document was initiated by Kazakhstan on behalf of the Central Asian states. 152 UN member states supported the resolution as co-sponsors, which underlines the high significance of
On March 4, the Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliyev visited Dushanbe and held talks with Tajikistan’s Prime Minister Kokhir Rasulzoda. According to the Kyrgyz government’s press service, one of the main issues on the agenda was preparations for the first-ever trilateral summit of the presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Energy and Water says that 70% of the CASA-1000 electricity transmission project in Afghanistan has been completed, TOLOnews reported. According to the ministry, if the World Bank provides the necessary funding, the Afghan government is prepared to complete the remaining work on this project. This major regional project, which connects Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan,
In 2024, Kyrgyzstan consumed 18.3 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, 1.1 billion kWh more than in 2023, the country’s Ministry of Energy said. Kyrgyzstan’s hydroelectric power plants generated 12.77 billion kWh and coal-fired thermal power plants produced 1.76 billion kWh. In addition, small private hydroelectric power plants produced 156.2 million kWh, while solar power plants added
KTZ Express, a subsidiary of Kazakhstan’s national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), and major Chinese operator Yiwu Timex have discussed expanding cooperation in the field of international transportation with a focus on the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) and new logistics services for deliveries to Central Asian countries, the KTZ press
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
A monument dedicated to world-renowned Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov was unveiled on February 27 at Villa Grazioli park in Rome. The opening of the monument was an initiative of the Embassy of the Kyrgyz Republic in Italy as part of efforts to promote and popularize Kyrgyzstan’s cultural heritage. The marble monument was created by Kyrgyz
Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov last week met with Zeng Zhaoqiang, the Chairman of the Board of Fujian Hengwang Investment Co., Ltd, one of the leading metallurgical companies in China. The meeting discussed the construction of a metallurgical plant with a capacity of 3 million tons of steel on the territory of the special
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
On February 27, Kyrgyzstan officially launched the preparation of its first Biennial Transparency Report (BTR1) under the Enhanced Transparency Framework of the Paris Agreement. This significant event, organized by the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision of the Kyrgyz Republic in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), marks an important step
On February 26, Olzhas Bektenov, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, met with Nikolai Podguzov, Chairman of the Eurasian Development Bank’s (EDB) Management Board, to discuss further cooperation on joint projects. In 2024, the Bank allocated nearly US $1.4 billion to projects in Kazakhstan. Over the past three years, the Bank’s total investment in the country has reached
