On May 28, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Bakhtiyor Saidov held a roundtable meeting with about 30 leading Italian companies in Rome to discuss joint projects in energy, textile, transport, IT, engineering, and other areas. The Uzbek minister underscored the enormous potential of economic and investment cooperation between Uzbekistan and Italy. Speaking at the
Recognizing the critical importance of addressing violence against women and girls in ensuring comprehensive security and stability, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) hosted the third Regional Networking and Capacity Building Conference in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from 21 to 23 May. The Conference that followed networking events in 2022 and 2023, further reinforced
Interesting facts from the history of relations between the Central Asian region and Africa, as well as prospects for interaction, were presented during a media seminar on May 27 organized by the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Ethiopia together with the African Studies Professionals Association (ASPA) as part of the celebration of Africa Day. The event
Delegations from the countries of Central Asia and international experts convened in Almaty, Kazakhstan on 27 May to discuss pressing issues around sustainable water and land management, energy, food security and environmental sustainability in the context of climate change in the region, the World Bank reported. Central Asia is increasingly impacted by climate change and climate-driven
Major companies from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan have shown interest in investing in Afghanistan’s oil and gas mines, Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews reported citing the country’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum. Homayoon Afghan, spokesperson for the ministry, says they welcome foreign companies to invest in Afghanistan’s oil and gas mines. According to Mr. Afghan, recently two large
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has challenged Central Asian leaders to put aside concerns of angering Russia, which considers the region part of its sphere of influence, and attend a summit in Switzerland next month aimed at achieving peace in Ukraine, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. Speaking to Central Asian journalists during a visit on May 24 to
The Central Asian Women Leaders’ Caucus Meeting concluded on 23 May in Bishkek. The event, centred on “The role of women in the economies of Central Asia: leadership for promoting digital, social, and environmental innovation,” brought together women leaders from across the region to strategize and commit to enhancing women’s roles in these critical sectors, the
On May 20-21, Astana hosted a regular meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers Council, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu. The meeting began with a minute of silence in honor of the Iranian President and Foreign Minister who died in a plane crash. The
On May 24-28, the 6th ECG Film Festival will be held at Premier Cinemas Romford in London. This festival is proudly joining forces with the renowned Romford Film Festival for the 6th consecutive year, promising a diverse and captivating lineup of films. Founded by the Eurasian Creative Guild and serving as a cultural bridge between
The Kyrgyz government said 29 people were injured, including three foreigners, in mob violence in Bishkek on the night of May 17-18 that appeared to be directed against foreign students and migrants, RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service reported. The violence prompted diplomatic reactions from Pakistan and India, who warned their students in Bishkek to remain indoors. The
According to the latest Regional Economic Prospects (REP) report published by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Central Asian economies in 2024 are expected to see growth slowing to 5.4 percent. However, a rebound to 5.9 percent is expected in 2025. The report notes that intermediated trade with Russia, which had been a significant growth
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has announced it will invest up to $5 million in Sturgeon Emerging Opportunities II, a new venture capital fund managed by Sturgeon Capital, a major venture capital investor. The money will help promote digital economies and support the growth of early-stage tech startups
The 16th Senior Officials Meeting of the Central Asia + Japan Dialogue took place on May 14 in Astana under the chairmanship of Nazira Nurbaeva, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan. The meeting was attended by the heads of the foreign ministries of Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Kazakhstan.
The Special Representative of Uzbekistan’s President, Ismatullah Irgashev, and the Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan, Ilkhom Makhkamov, arrived in Kabul on May 12, Afghan broadcaster TOLOnews reported. During a meeting with the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate (the Taliban administration of Afghanistan), Ilkhom Makhkamov stated that Uzbekistan supports the Islamic Emirate’s
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will host the 13th Central Asia Trade Forum, entitled “Trade Connections: Bridging Globally,” on May 14 and 15 in Almaty, the U.S. Embassy in Kazakhstan announced. With more than 10,000 government and business leaders from 25 countries in Central and South Asia, Europe, and the United States participating since
Artificial intelligence (AI) was behind deepfakes, originated in China, about the existence of US laboratories allegedly developing biological weapons in Kazakhstan. Reuters reported citing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 2024 homeland threat assessment that last year, a Chinese government-controlled news site using a generative AI platform pushed a previously circulated false claim that
On May 8, Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan gathered in Moscow for a meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council, the governing body of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU). This year marks the tenth anniversary of the establishment of the Russian-led economic integration
Armenia said on May 8 that it has stopped making financial contributions to the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) after effectively suspending its membership in the Russian-led military alliance, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reported. “Armenia will refrain from signing up to the November 23, 2023, decision on the CSTO budget for 2024 and, thereby, from participating
All five Central Asian presidents are scheduled to attend a parade on Red Square in Moscow on May 9 to commemorate the victory in the Second World War in 1945, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported. Yury Ushakov, an aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, on May 7 said Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Tajik President
Amid Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine and geopolitical confrontation with the West, the Kremlin is taking efforts to strengthen its influence in Kazakhstan, Moldova, other countries of Central Asia, and in the South Caucasus. For this purpose, Russia has launched information campaigns using various news agencies and Internet platforms to disseminate Moscow’s narrative in
