Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu paid a working visit to Afghanistan. On July 10 in Kabul, the Kazakh Foreign Minister held a meeting with the Acting Deputy Prime Minister of Afghanistan for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar. The parties discussed prospects for cooperation in trade, transit, and agriculture,
On July 11, the EU and the countries of Central Asia — Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — held the 12th meeting of the annual High-Level Political and Security Dialogue, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The Dialogue took place in the context of increased engagement between Central Asia and the European Union, following up
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supports the Kyrgyz Republic in implementing its national priorities for reducing plastic waste, including the introduction of separate waste collection and recycling, a phased ban on single-use plastics, the development of a circular economy, the promotion of biodegradable alternatives, and raising environmental awareness among the population, UNDP in Kyrgyzstan
A closing seminar was held for the comprehensive project titled “Media Education and Fact-Checking: Promoting Critical Thinking and Information Literacy”, implemented by the “Yuksalish” Movement with financial support from the European Union. The event presented key achievements of the project, including proposals to strengthen the professional capacity of media professionals and to improve the legal framework
The Almosi Valley, an integrated mountain agropastoral system in Tajikistan, has become the first Central Asian addition to the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The system was formally designated under FAO’s flagship program during a meeting of the GIAHS Scientific Advisory Group held from
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, the Akimat of Kyzylorda Region, and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) organized the First National Urban Forum of Kazakhstan (NUF2025) in Kyzylorda on July 8. The event brought together representatives of central and local government bodies, international organizations, the expert community, and the private sector. Held
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov has spoken for maintaining the official status of the Russian language in Kyrgyzstan. In an interview with the Kabar information agency, Japarov shared his opinion on the current status and future of the Russian language in Kyrgyzstan amid proposals of some Kyrgyz politicians to revise its status. Russian has the status
Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu represented for the first time Kazakhstan as a partner country at the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6. The opening day of the Summit was attended by heads of state and government, high-level representatives of BRICS member and partner
On July 2, Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), visited the Central Asian University of Environmental and Climate Change Studies (Green University) under the Ministry of Ecology of Uzbekistan. He was accompanied by Aziz Abdukhakimov, Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change and Umid Shadiev, Chairman of the
One of Turkey’s leading logistics companies, S Sistem Lojistik, plans to invest approximately $100 million in the construction of a network of modern logistics and warehouse terminals in Kazakhstan. Priority locations for these facilities include Almaty, Astana, Shymkent, Aktau, and other major cities. The project was discussed in Astana on June 27 by Chairman of
In a major advancement for energy connectivity and resilience in Tajikistan’s Badakhshan Mountainous Autonomous Region (GBAO), the Government of Tajikistan late in June inaugurated and broke ground on critical power infrastructure that will bring the country closer to finalizing the regional electricity grid, the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan reported. The high-level ceremony,
U.S. Air Forces Central and the Montana Army and Air National Guard partnered with the Kyrgyz Republic for exercise Ak Shumkar 2025, between June 23-27, focused on expanding partnerships and increasing interoperability among partner forces throughout Central Asia, according to the U.S. Embassy in Bishkek. As a Kyrgyz-led exercise, Ak Shumkar 2025 provided an opportunity for U.S.
The World Bank has approved additional financing of $6.36 million to complement the ongoing Learning for the Future Project in Kyrgyzstan. This initiative, originally launched with $50 million in 2020, seeks to enhance school readiness and teacher productivity from pre-school to secondary education in targeted communities. The additional funding will expand the scope of the project to include full-day
A meeting was held at the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of Uzbekistan between Minister Aziz Abdukhakimov and Haruki Yamasaki, CEO of the Japanese company Le One Co., Ltd. The meeting discussed bilateral cooperation within the framework of a planned pilot project aimed at introducing innovative environmental technologies. Le One Co., Ltd.
As part of his official visit to Mongolia, on June 26 Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu met with the country’s Minister of Roads and Transport, Borkhuu Delgersaikhan. The parties emphasized the importance of deepening Kazakh-Mongolian cooperation in the field of transport and logistics. The close geographical interconnectedness of
On June 23, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Economy and Commerce and South Korean companies EVSIS and NGS and the Korea Automobile Environment Association for a joint project to develop an electric vehicle charging infrastructure in Bishkek. According to the ministry, the memorandum covers the following key areas of cooperation: As part
A new project aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy efficiency in schools, hospitals, and public transportation has been launched in Uzbekistan. The initiative is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Uzbekistan, with support from the Government of Japan and the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan. The project
The European Union and Turkmenistan held their seventeenth annual Human Rights Dialogue on 17 June in Brussels. According to the Delegation of the European Union to Turkmenistan, discussions took place in an open and constructive atmosphere. The agenda contained a broad range of topics, including rule of law, fundamental freedoms, and gender equality. The EU
The QS World University Rankings 2026 have been published, with 20 Kazakhstani universities featured – a testament to the rising quality of higher education in the country. New entrants include Shakhmardan Yessenov Caspian University of Technology and Engineering, M. Kozybayev North Kazakhstan University, and Shakarim University of Semey, according to the Kazakh Ministry of Science
From 16 to 18 June, the Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA 10), funded by the European Union (EU), in cooperation with UNICEF, organised a seminar in Tashkent to strengthen child protection systems in Uzbekistan’s border regions, the Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan reported. Bringing together representatives of the National Agency for
