On August 12, Kazakhstan Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov chaired a meeting on the implementation of the President’s instructions regarding the development of artificial intelligence (AI). Nine key areas outlined by the President were reviewed, including the introduction of AI into real sector industries, public administration, and healthcare; the development of an AI and digital transformation
On August 11, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev listened to proposals for combating the shadow economy. It was noted that in the past, high administrative pressure and excessive interference in business led many entrepreneurs to fear operating openly. In recent years, large-scale efforts have been undertaken to reduce the tax burden and eliminate bureaucratic barriers: the
A new partnership has been launched between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Business Development Bank (BDB) of Uzbekistan, marking a promising step forward for small and medium-sized businesses across the country, according to UNDP Uzbekistan. This partnership between BDB and UNDP aligns national goals with global expertise to support Uzbekistan’s SMEs, especially
As part of his working visit to the Zhetysu Region on August 8, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu held meetings with the leadership of China’s leading corporations – China Minmetals Corporation and CITIC Construction Co. Ltd. The discussions focused on the implementation of joint investment projects in key
In the first five months of 2025, Kazakhstan’s revenues from foreign trade decreased by 9.2%. If in January-May 2024 the country earned $32.8 billion from exports, then in the same period of the current year the figure was $29.8 billion, more than $3 billion less, finprom.kz reported with reference to data from the Bureau of
Both international analysts and Kyrgyz government officials warn that the continued GDP growth in Kyrgyzstan could be a sign that the economy is overheating. This is evident from the advanced growth in real incomes, rising inflation, labor shortages, and decreasing exports. According to the Eurasian Fund for Stabilization and Development’s (EFSD) “Regional Economic Outlook. Summer 2025,”
Despite opposition from environmental activists, the government of Uzbekistan has approved the construction of the Sea Breeze Uzbekistan resort at the Charvak reservoir in the Tashkent region, granting the investor a land plot on a 25-year lease with an extremely low rental fee. The project, led by Azerbaijani developer Emin Agalarov, will include recreation areas, beaches,
Gabidulla Ospankulov, Chairman of the Investment Committee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, held a meeting with Li Xiangdong, Deputy General Director of Tianjin Youfa Group, and San Wenxu, Deputy General Director of Hong Kong Friend International Cooperation Co., Ltd. The parties discussed an investment project to localize steel pipe production in Kazakhstan.
ROX Group, one of Vietnam’s largest private multi-sector holdings, has expressed strong interest in developing renewable energy projects in Kazakhstan, including the construction of large-scale energy facilities. The company is also considering participation in industrial and tourism infrastructure development initiatives, as well as exploring opportunities in the Kazakh banking and financial sectors, according to Kazakhstan’s
Uzbekistan continues to strengthen its strategic partnership with Hungary, with a focus on expanding trade, economic, and investment cooperation. A new milestone in this direction is the adoption of a presidential decree introducing additional incentives and preferences for Hungarian and European investors within the newly established Uzbekistan–Hungary Special Industrial Zone (SIZ), located in the Akhangaran
KTZ Express, a subsidiary of Kazakhstan’s national railways company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), and China Railway Container Transport Co., Ltd. (CRCT) have agreed to work together to increase container transportation volumes on the China-Europe, China-Russia, and China-Belarus routes, as well as along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) and the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan route, according to KTZ.
The Khan Tengri Innovation Hub, the first specialized platform for integrating the technological potential of Central Asian countries with the Chinese hi-tech ecosystem, opened on July 26 in the Zhangjiang Science City in Shanghai. The hub’s initiator was the Kazakhstani company Growth Vision Pro, supported by the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry
Tajikistan’s real gross domestic product (GDP) growth reached 8.4 percent in 2024 and 8.2 percent in the first quarter of 2025 with services and industry driving the expansion, according to the World Bank’s annual Tajikistan Economic Update released on July 30. Domestic demand was bolstered by substantial remittance inflows, which totaled approximately 49 percent of GDP in
On July 30, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a video-conference meeting on increasing the export of fruit, vegetable, and food products. Uzbekistan has significant potential in agriculture. Over the past three years, 250,000 hectares of land previously used for cotton and grain crops have been repurposed for cultivating food crops. A total of 160,000 hectares of
As part of the official visit of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Turkey, a number of commercial agreements were signed with the support of the national company Kazakh Invest. These agreements aim to implement joint investment projects in priority sectors of the economy. Among the key outcomes was the signing of an Investment
A new partnership has been officially launched between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Business Development Bank (BDB) of Uzbekistan, marking a promising step forward for small and medium-sized businesses across the country, UNDP Uzbekistan reported. This partnership between BDB and UNDP aligns national goals with global expertise to support Uzbekistan’s SMEs, especially
From 2025 to 2030, 15 million Tajik somoni will be allocated annually for 200 grants of the President of Tajikistan to support and develop women’s entrepreneurship. The grants are aimed at creating conditions for the exercise of women’s rights and economic opportunities, ensuring their equal participation in public life, increasing women’s competitiveness in the labor
A networking session with representatives of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) was held in Almaty last week at the regional office of the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, Kazakh Invest reported. The session brought together business representatives from both countries, including KADIN, Atameken’s regional office, the Foreign Trade Chamber, as well as
According to the latest data for 2025, Kazakhstan’s largest city and business capital, Almaty, has become the absolute leader among the country’s regions in terms of foreign trade volume. The city’s trade turnover totaled $7.2 billion, including $1.3 billion of exports, 12.4% more than a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Trade and Integration.
KTZ Express, a subsidiary of Kazakhstan’s national railway operator, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), has established a new multimodal transportation route with the first container train from Shanxi Province (China) to Azerbaijan along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) through Kazakhstan. According to KTZ, the train, consisting of 50 containers with photovoltaic modules weighing more than