On December 20, the Delegation of the European Union to Turkmenistan hosted its annual open-air Christmas Book Fair, which for the third year in a row delighted residents and guests of Ashgabat. The event took place in the front yard of the Delegation and brought together the local community to celebrate books, culture, sustainability, and
On December 22, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and Uzbekistan signed the FAO–Uzbekistan Country Programming Framework 2026–2030, which is embedded in the United Nations’ strategic priorities in the country and the globally adopted Sustainable Development Goals. The new agreement was signed by Viorel Gutu, FAO Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, and President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon were awarded with the Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize at a ceremony held at the Saint Petersburg State Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory on December 21. The prestigious award was presented in the presence of the President of the Russian
A national workshop in Tashkent on 18-19 December brought together teachers, education specialists, national and international experts to finalize and approve practical recommendations on how to include climate change topics in the 7–11 grade curricula for biology, geography, physics, chemistry, and mathematics, UNDP in Uzbekistan reported. The event was organized by the United Nations Development
The Kazakhstan Agency of International Development (KazAID) is celebrating its fifth anniversary. The Agency was established by a Resolution of the Government of Kazakhstan dated December 15, 2020, as the national operator in the field of official development assistance and operates under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan. KazAID’s mission is to promote sustainable
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $3 million grant to strengthen Tajikistan’s capacity for glacier monitoring and hazard forecasting. The grant comes from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR) financed by the Government of Japan through ADB. “Glaciers and snow are vital for water supply, agriculture, and hydropower, yet rapid melting
According to the latest analytical data published by the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) in its World Tourism Barometer report, Uzbekistan ranked among the World’s Top 7 countries in terms of the fastest growth in inbound foreign tourism for January–September 2025. The number of international tourists visiting the country increased by 73 percent compared to
Kazakhstan has opened two modernized motor vehicle checkpoints—Kazygurt on the border with Uzbekistan and Temir-baba on the border with Turkmenistan—in an effort to boost trade and cargo transportation in the region, primeminister.kz reported. The checkpoints were reconstructed as part of the state program to modernize border infrastructure. The program covers nine checkpoints located on Kazakhstan’s
The “Kazakhstan-China” microsatellite, jointly developed by Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) and China’s Northwestern Polytechnical University, successfully entered orbit at an altitude of 530 km on December 13, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education. This scientific research satellite was launched into orbit by Ziwei Aerospace, using Kuaizhou-11 launch vehicle. In 2024, KazNU
The Ministry of Economy and Commerce of the Kyrgyz Republic, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kyrgyzstan, has begun developing the country’s first unified methodology for master planning growth hubs. To implement the Programme of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic on the formation and development of growth hubs
U.S. Chargé d’affaires, a.i. Carson Relitz Rocker emphasized the strategic importance of critical minerals and rare earths in the global economy at the 2nd Annual International Mining and Metallurgical Investment Forum in Dushanbe last week, according to the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan. Chargé Relitz Rocker highlighted Tajikistan’s abundant mineral resources as a key opportunity for sustainable
The project board meeting of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) project “Enhancing the resilience of the local population and promoting green, inclusive development of the most vulnerable communities in the Aral Sea region” convened last week in Tashkent in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan and the Council of Ministers of the Republic
On December 12, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev participated in an International Forum in Ashgabat dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the proclamation of Turkmenistan’s permanent neutrality, the International Day of Neutrality, and the declaration of 2025 as the “International Year of Peace and Trust”. The event, chaired by President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, was
On December 11, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian participated in the Kazakh-Iranian Business Forum in Astana. Tokayev reported that last year, bilateral trade exceeded $340 million. “We agreed to significantly increase trade turnover between our countries, with the goal of reaching $1 billion initially and $2 billion in the next stage.
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a $250 million loan for Uzbekistan to support a program aimed at expanding equitable access to student financing in higher education and in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) (the EduImkon Program). Over the next three years, this program will help strengthen the student financing support
On December 10, the United States celebrated the handover of its 16th shipment of food assistance to Uzbekistan, continuing long-standing cooperation in health and humanitarian support, the U.S. Embassy in Tashkent said. The latest delivery includes 131 metric tons of vitamin- and mineral-fortified lentil and vegetable mix valued at $448,000 and is set to benefit
The European Union has disbursed a EUR 7 million grant to the Government of Uzbekistan in support of the continued implementation of the country’s Agricultural Development Strategy 2020–2030. The announcement was made by EU Ambassador to Uzbekistan Toivo Klaar during his meeting with the Minister of Agriculture, Ibrokhim Abdurakhmonov. The meeting provided an opportunity to
The European Union and Tajikistan on December 10 marked the successful completion of two newly constructed pipelines in the city of Istiklol (formerly Taboshar), an important milestone under the EU’s long-standing commitment to improving environmental safety and addressing uranium legacy sites in Central Asia, the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan reported. The opening ceremony,
Kazakhstan’s Satbayev University, a technical university located in Almaty, has signed an agreement with the French energy company Total and the University of Lorraine for the launch of an educational program at Satbayev University to train personnel for the Mirny wind energy project in the Zhambyl region. The document was signed by Samgat Yermekbayev, First
Great Britain’s Kurash wrestlers produced some fine performances at the Paris International Tournament, achieving a gold and a bronze medal. This prestigious event, held in honour of the birthday of the President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, took place under the embracing shadow of the historic Eiffel Tower. The iconic tower was beautifully lit for the
