The United States Government has established the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund (TCEF), a non-profit investment fund committed to private sector development across the South Caucasus and Central Asian region. Capitalized with $201 million from the U.S. Government to mobilize private investment along the Trans-Caspian Trade Route, the Fund will invest in businesses and infrastructure that can
Growth across Central Asia and Mongolia remained strong, at 5.9 per cent year on year, in the first half of 2026, according to the latest Regional Economic Prospects report published by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The Bank forecasts growth in Central Asia and Mongolia to remain robust at 5.8 per cent in 2026
On September 16, the first Central Asia–Republic of Korea Summit took place in Seoul. The event, chaired by President of the Republic of Korea Lee Jae Myung, was attended by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and President of
Kyrgyzstan’s great cultural festival attracted genuine public enthusiasm. Yet transport failures, overcrowding, ticketing disorder and complaints from competitors revealed how far the organisation lagged behind the spectacle. The VI World Nomad Games closed in Kyrgyzstan on 6 September after a week of equestrian sport, traditional wrestling, music, crafts and national celebration. The Games produced memorable
The governments of Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan have signed a Transit Trade Agreement aimed at expanding bilateral trade and strengthening the economic partnership between the two countries. The document aims to develop transport and logistics links, simplify transit and customs procedures, and expand Kyrgyzstan’s ability to use Pakistan’s seaports, including Karachi, Bin Qasim, and Gwadar, according
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov and Chinese President Xi Jinping signed a joint declaration of the People’s Republic of China and the Kyrgyz Republic on the high-quality development of the comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era and a bilateral treaty on permanent good-neighborliness, friendship and cooperation after their talks in Bishkek on August 31, Xinhua
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
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
On July 31, the Kyrgyz resort city of Cholpon-Ata hosted an informal meeting of the heads of state of Central Asia and Azerbaijan. The meeting was attended by President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and President
A special screening of “Kurmanjan Datka: Queen of the Mountains,” one of the most significant historical films from Central Asia, will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina on August 7. Director Sadyk Sher-Niyaz tells the extraordinary story of Kurmanjan Datka, one of Kyrgyzstan’s most revered historical figures. In the 19th century, her courage, leadership, wisdom,
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has arrived in Kyrgyzstan on a state visit on July 30. In Cholpon-Ata, the president of Uzbekistan will also participate in the informal Consultative Meeting of the Heads of State of Central Asia and Azerbaijan. Here in Cholpon-Ata, Mirziyoyev held talks with President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov to
On July 28, Bishkek hosted the Uzbekistan–Kyrgyzstan Business Forum titled “Kyrgyzstan – Uzbekistan: Industrial Cooperation, Investment and Trade.” The event was attended by Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic and Minister of Water Resources, Agriculture and Processing Industry Erlist Akunbekov, Director of the National Investment Agency under the President of
On July 25, Kyrgyzstan launched the operation of the Balykchy-Kochkor railway line and Kochkor station in the Naryn region. The new 63-km line is the first stage of the Balykchy – Kara-Keche – Makmal railway construction project. At the opening ceremony, President Sadyr Japarov said that the new line will be extended from Kochkor to
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.
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
The European Union and the five countries of Central Asia — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — on July 16 held the 13th meeting of their annual High-Level Political and Security Dialogue in Brussels. The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs at the European External Action Service, Olof Skoog, with participation
As part of a working visit to Kyrgyzstan, Chairman of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Akkulov held meetings with the management of Kyrgyzstan’s Asman Airlines and Aero Nomad Airlines. The parties explored opportunities to expand air connectivity between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, develop joint tourism products, and increase the flow of tourists between the two countries,
Chairman of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Akkulov held a meeting with Eduard Kubatov, Director of the State Agency for Tourism Development of Kyrgyzstan to discuss further strengthening of bilateral cooperation in tourism, increasing mutual tourist flows, developing new joint tourism products and cross-border travel routes, and creating additional economic opportunities for the regions
We are living through a profound shift in the relationship between education and work — and nowhere is that shift more consequential than in Central Asia. Artificial intelligence is not coming to education. It is already here. It is in the assignments students submit, the tools employers use to screen candidates, and increasingly in the