In the first half of 2025, cargo transportation along the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) reached 2.3 million tons, 7% more than in the same period in 2024, according to the Kazakh Ministry of Transport. The TITR, also known as the Middle Corridor, links China and Europe via Kazakhstan and the Caspian Sea. Over the
As part of the high-level meeting “Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Europe – Cooperation for Common Development”, a panel session was held on “Climate Challenges in Central Asia and the European Union: New Opportunities for Transregional Cooperation.” The session brought together former President of Montenegro Filip Vujanović, Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of Uzbekistan
The Afghan Ministry of Mines and Petroleum announced that the contract for the exploration and extraction of the Mes Aynak copper mine in Logar province has been extended for another 15 years, TOLOnews reported. This project was handed over to China’s MCC company 17 years ago, but significant progress in its extraction has yet to
Hertfordshire Press is proud to announce the release of Naked Nimbus, the third novel by acclaimed author Shahsanem Murray. This highly anticipated work follows her earlier successes “Cold Shadows” and “Finding the Holy Path”, both available on Amazon and discovery-bookshop.com. In Naked Nimbus, Murray tells the story of Arthur, a young and ambitious artist haunted
This year, the Voices of Friends: Poetry & Art almanac takes on a special resonance. Its pages are dedicated to the anniversaries of two great enlighteners whose legacy bridges cultures and eras — Abai Kunanbaev, the Kazakh poet, thinker, and reformer, and Igor Savitsky, the legendary collector and guardian of Central Asian art. This almanac
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Industry and Commerce reports a significant increase in trade between Afghanistan and China. According to the ministry, trade between the two countries reached $541 million in the first seven months of this year, TOLOnews reported. A large share of Afghanistan’s imports from China includes cotton textiles, solar panels, electronic devices, and mobile
The special issue of OCA Magazine dedicated to the Jizzakh region of Uzbekistan caught the attention of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, as evidenced by a letter from the Prime Minister’s office. “When the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom holds a copy of OCA Magazine and sends a letter with feedback to
Addressing the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries in Turkmenistan on August 5, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev spoke for the need of coordinated action to expedite the development of international transport corridors and infrastructure. Mirziyoyev advocated accelerating the preparation and implementation of the Uzbekistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan railway construction project. “Converging this promising corridor with the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan
On August 5, the Third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries opened in Awaza, Turkmenistan, bringing together global leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders under the theme “Driving Progress through Partnerships”. This landmark event aims to address the unique challenges faced by the world’s 32 landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), home to over 600 million people, and accelerate
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.
In July 2025, the Almosi Valley in the foothills of Hissar in Tajikistan made history: the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) officially recognized it as part of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) network. This marks the first GIAHS designation among all countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. We
On August 3 in Almaty, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres took part in the signing ceremony of the Host Country Agreement between the Government of Kazakhstan and the United Nations concerning the establishment of the UN Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Kazakhstan.
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
In a fresh move to strengthen transport cooperation between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, a major agreement and contract have been signed for the development and investment in Torghundi Port, TOLOnews reported. According to the agreement, the dry port of Torghundi in Afghanistan’s Herat province will be expanded with an initial investment of $5 million. The project
Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov, speaking at the First International Environmental Conference in the city of Manzherok (Altai, Russia), highlighted the issue of the Caspian Sea’s shallowing as one of the key regional challenges, his press office reported. Bektenov emphasized that environmental security is not merely part of the global “green” agenda, but a
On July 3, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko accepted copies of credentials from newly appointed Ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to the Russian Federation Gul Hassan Hassan. Russia’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it believes that the official recognition of the Government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), a supranational financial institution headquartered in Almaty, Kazakhstan, issued a private placement bond, denominated in dirham, in the local UAE capital markets. This pioneering issuance of AED 200 million (equivalent to c. US$54 million), was arranged by First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the largest bank in the UAE, in partnership with
The 2025 Central Asia–China Furniture and Construction Industry Cooperation Forum was held in Astana last week. As part of the forum, a founding ceremony was held for the Association of Furniture and Building Materials Manufacturers of Central Asia and China. The event brought together around 100 business representatives from China and countries of the region,
The Second Central Asia – China Industrial and Investment Cooperation Forum was held in Astana on June 16. The main goal of the forum was to develop and strengthen economic ties between the Central Asian countries and China, attract mutual investments, establish joint production facilities, and promote cooperative projects in the strategic sectors of the region’s economy.
The IV Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF) opened in Uzbekistan’s capital on June 9, marking a key event in the regional investment agenda. The forum has brought together leading international investors, government representatives, financial institutions, and business leaders. In 2025, the forum is being held on an unprecedented scale, with investment projects across strategically important sectors
