The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is contributing to the optimization of international transport routes by supporting upgrades of key port infrastructure in Kazakhstan. A financial package of up to €45 million provided by the EBRD and the European Union will finance an increase in cargo handling capacity at the port of Aktau, Kazakhstan’s
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and the Export-Import Bank of India (India Exim Bank) have released a joint research report, entitled ‘Exploring Trade and Investment Relations between India and Central Asia: Unlocking Economic Benefits’. The report analyzes the untapped potential of cooperation between the two dynamically growing economic centers. The report lists Central Asia and
On September 17, in Astana, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke at the opening of the VIII Congress of the Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, a unique platform for open discussion of key challenges of our time. Tokayev noted that the territory of Kazakhstan has historically been a crossroads of cultures and a place of
The volume of trade between Central Asian countries and the Gulf states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) reached $3.3 billion in 2024, an increase of 4.2 times since 2020, according to the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB). Imports to Central Asian countries from the Gulf states accounted for 80% of
Late in August, a presentation of a new book of children’s author from Uzbekistan Elena Makarova took place in London as part of the Eurasian Literature Day. The event gathered authors and other creative persons from Europe and Asia thanks to the coordination of the Eurasian Creative Guild (London). Makarova, the winner of the Open
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
