On July 30, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a video-conference meeting on increasing the export of fruit, vegetable, and food products. Uzbekistan has significant potential in agriculture. Over the past three years, 250,000 hectares of land previously used for cotton and grain crops have been repurposed for cultivating food crops. A total of 160,000 hectares of
A new partnership has been officially launched between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Business Development Bank (BDB) of Uzbekistan, marking a promising step forward for small and medium-sized businesses across the country, UNDP Uzbekistan reported. This partnership between BDB and UNDP aligns national goals with global expertise to support Uzbekistan’s SMEs, especially
In recent years, Central Asia has experienced not merely a surge of interest in music, but a cultural renaissance in which music itself becomes a pivotal element in educational reform, social transformation, and soft power projection. At the heart of this process lies not only the revival of genres once confined to folklore, but also
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is facilitating the introduction of upland rice in the Republic of Karakalpakstan, which will reduce water consumption by up to 40% compared to traditional rice cultivation. On May 27, 2025, with UNDP assistance, the first seed samples of 15 varieties of upland rice were provided to the Scientific-Production Association
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), in close partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and with the financial support of the European Union (EU), hosted a regional coordination meeting of Aarhus Centres and key stakeholders from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan on 17–18 July in Khujand, Tajikistan. As part of the
On July 22, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited Jizzakh region and reviewed the operations of the Zaamin Technopark special industrial zone. The head of state initiated the construction of this complex on June 27 of last year. Within the framework of the project, which spans 400 hectares, a total of 31 investment projects worth $1.2
Kazakhstan’s national railway company, Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), has announced the launch on September 19 of a new season of its train tour, Jibek Joly (Silk Road) 5.0, connecting major cities in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. During the 6-day tour, passengers will travel along the route Almaty – Turkestan – Otrar – Samarkand – Bukhara –
The two largest Central Asian countries have embarked on a higher education spree. In Uzbekistan since 2020 almost 100 new universities have opened, swelling the number of BA candidates in the country by some 400,000. In Kazakhstan, hardly a week goes by without an announcement from the Ministry of Education ballyhooing the opening of another
Recently, Uzbek economist Behzod Khoshimov stated that it will take Uzbekistan 30 years to catch up with Kazakhstan in terms of economic development. In the article below, Ulysmedia.kz tried to understand whether Khoshimov is right and why this old rivalry still determines the region’s development. The rivalry between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan began during the Soviet
On July 13–14, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Investments, Industry and Trade Laziz Kudratov paid a visit to Bulgaria. He held talks with President Rumen Radev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadjov, heads of relevant ministries, as well as representatives of leading companies and financial institutions of the country. At the center of the
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
In recent years, Uzbekistan has become an increasingly important cultural and economic crossroads in Central Asia, attracting diplomats, international organizations, and businesses from around the world. As the country opens its doors to greater international engagement, the need for high-quality Uzbek language education has never been more pressing. Meeting this need is Methodica, a pioneering
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
Uzbekistan’s tourism targets are well known: President Mirziyoyev has repeatedly stated that he aims to attract 15 million international arrivals a year by 2030, which represents a more than 100% increase from 2023, reads the following article by Sophie Ibbotson, published in OCA Magazine: More valuable metrics for the economy, however, are the financial contribution
On July 5, the Uzbek-Korean Business Forum was held in Tashkent as part of the official visit of the delegation from the city of Ulsan. The event brought together over 100 representatives from the business community and government agencies of Uzbekistan and the Republic of Korea. The forum was chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister
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
As part of his state visit to Azerbaijan, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev held talks and the second meeting of the Supreme Interstate Council on July 2 in Baku. The leaders discussed issues of further strengthening Uzbek-Azerbaijani relations of friendship, strategic partnership and alliance, as well as expansion of
On July 1, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation outlining plans in digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and telecommunications. Significant progress has been achieved in the development of digital technologies in the country. The number of IT Park residents has exceeded 2,800, with 752 of them being foreign companies. Approximately 40,000 young people earn high
Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev delivered a speech on the occasion of Youth Day, celebrated on June 30. According to the president, the conditions being created for youth in the country are already yielding tangible results. Last year, Uzbekistan ranked first in Central Asia in the number of students admitted to the world’s top 500 universities.
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.
