The United Nations General Assembly on August 31 adopted the resolution entitled “International Day of Greening the Planet,” initiated by Kazakhstan, proclaiming 22 April as the International Day of Greening the Planet. The initiative to establish the International Day was put forward by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the general debate of the 80th
The Uzbek cities of Tashkent and Samarkand have become members of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Green Cities Network, according to the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of Uzbekistan. According to certificates issued by the Secretariat of FAO’s Green Cities Initiative at FAO Headquarters in Rome on 20
In autumn 2014, the first World Nomad Games were held on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul in Kyrgyzstan. A new international project was taking its first steps, and no one yet knew what the future would hold. OCA Magazine, published in London since 2009, became a media partner of the inaugural Games. We dedicated the
China has unilaterally simplified visa requirements for Kyrgyzstan citizens in a move that will further deepen mutual trust and cooperation between the two countries and make tourism, business, investment, and trade more convenient and efficient, according to Chinese officials. China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced that effective August 20, 2026, nationals of Kyrgyzstan will be
The first Critical Minerals Forum of Tajikistan and Korea took place in Seoul on August 12 to help identify practical projects and connect Tajikistan’s vast resource potential with Korea’s expertise and technologies for mineral exploration and development. The forum brought together senior Tajik government officials and representatives of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
On August 17, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited the Liaoning Normal University branch in Uzbekistan and the Confucius Institute in Khiva. A new educational complex has been built as part of a project implemented jointly with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, Urgench State University, and China’s Liaoning Normal University. The complex includes academic
Until recently, Central Asia remained one of the least familiar regions of the world for most people in Latin America. If the names Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, or Uzbekistan were known at all, they were usually associated with geography, sports, or occasional news headlines. Today, that is beginning to change. Growing trade and economic ties, new international
SABIS International School–Astana has officially opened in Kazakhstan’s capital. The opening ceremony was attended by Victor Saad, President and Chief Executive Officer of SABIS; Talgat Yeshenkulov, Vice-Minister of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan; Bakytzhan Zhumagulov, President of the National Engineering and Technical Academy of Kazakhstan; and Kassymkhan Sengazyev, Head of the Astana City Education
“The most valuable investment a nation can make is an investment in an educated, competitive, and patriotic younger generation.” This principle, consistently emphasized by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has become increasingly relevant in the twenty-first century. Today, international relations are shaped not only through negotiations between heads of state and ministers
From January to July 2026, Uzbekistan received 7,749,064 foreign tourists, a 22.6% increase compared to the same period last year, according to the country’s Tourism Committee. The positive growth trend in inbound tourism has continued in recent years. In 2023, the country welcomed 6.6 million foreign tourists, followed by more than 10 million in 2024.
On World Nature Conservation Day, July 28, Uzbekistan officially launched ECODATA, an electronic geo-information database for biodiversity and protected natural areas. The platform is a product of the Aral Sea Wetlands project, which is implemented by the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by
On 29 July, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan, the European Union (EU), and the Government of Kazakhstan officially launched the project “Advancing Local Governance Reform in Kazakhstan” at the first meeting of the Project Steering Committee in Astana, according to UNDP Kazakhstan. The meeting brought together representatives of the Ministry of National
Amid growing global demand for gastronomic and wellness tourism, Uzbekistan continues to develop modern tourism products. The next step in this direction will be an international vegan cuisine festival, which will be held on July 30 by the country’s Tourism Committee and the Embassy of India in Uzbekistan. According to the Tourism Committee, the development
On July 24–25, Samarkand hosted the prestigious International sister cities forum for the first time. The main objective of the forum was to further strengthen long-standing friendly and partnership relations with sister cities abroad, promote the exchange of experience among cities, and establish promising joint projects, according to Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee. The international event brought
Kyrgyzstan, a mountainous republic at the heart of Central Asia, is emerging as one of the region’s most dynamic higher education markets. With a population of 7.4 million, a growing economy, and expanding international enrolment, the country is beginning to position higher education not merely as a social sector but as a strategic economic industry.
On July 23, the headquarters of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM) hosted the first-ever meeting of the Kazakhstan–Morocco Business Council in Casablanca. The event brought together Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov, President of CGEM Mehdi Tazi, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Morocco Saulekul Sailaukyzy, and representatives of companies from Kazakhstan and Morocco. Deputy
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), together with the Ministry of Agriculture of Kazakhstan, on July 22 held an inception workshop in Astana dedicated to the official launch of three strategic projects implemented under the FAO–Kazakhstan Partnership Programme (FKPP). The workshop marked the beginning of the practical implementation of projects aimed
The Research Center for Ecology and the Environment of Central Asia hosted a presentation and exhibition entitled “Advanced Practices in Establishing an Ecological Shelterbelt in Inner Mongolia”, organized at the initiative of the Forestry Agency under the National Committee of Uzbekistan on Ecology and Climate Change in cooperation with the National Forestry and Grassland Administration
The World Bank Group’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a project to support transboundary water cooperation across Central Asia. It will help countries attract additional investment in water management and conservation and strengthen their collective capacity to manage shared water resources. Around 40 million people across Central Asia are expected to benefit from the
Global interest in travel to Uzbekistan continues to grow. According to data from the international travel company Expedia Group, the number of travel-related searches for Uzbekistan increased by 54% in June compared to the same period last year. At the same time, the number of confirmed bookings also rose, indicating that growing traveler interest is