The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 19 September approved a $300 million sector development program to support the Government of Uzbekistan’s efforts to expand access to finance for unbanked and underbanked microenterprises, fostering sustainable and inclusive growth in the country. “An inclusive and sustainable microfinance sector is essential to support micro and small businesses which
On September 18, Kazakhstan Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held the first meeting of the Board of the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) under the chairmanship of Kazakhstan. The meeting with the heads of delegations of the participating countries of the Fund considered the issues of joint use of transboundary water resources, as
U.S. Ambassador to Uzbekistan Jonathan Henick and First Deputy Minister of Geology of Uzbekistan, Omonullo Nasritdinkhodjaev on September 16 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen cooperation between the United States and Uzbekistan on critical minerals. The signing ceremony took place on the eve of the Government of Uzbekistan’s participation in MINExpo INTERNATIONAL, the mining
The 2nd summit of Central Asian countries and Germany was held on September 17 in Kazakhstan’s capital, Astana. Chaired by Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the meeting was attended by Federal Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov, and President of Uzbekistan Shavkat
In the first five months of the current solar year (which begins on March 21), Afghanistan has conducted trade worth nearly $700 million with Central Asian countries, TOLOnews reported with reference to the Afghan Ministry of Industry and Commerce. Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, spokesperson for the ministry, said that trade between Afghanistan and Central Asian
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz arrived in the Uzbek city of Samarkand on September 15 and met with Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. Following the talks, the Uzbek and German governments signed a migration agreement that would allow skilled workers from Uzbekistan to travel to Germany, with a focus on the health-care sector, RFE/RL reported. It is also
The Kara-Suu checkpoint was re-opened at the border between Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan on September 12, after being closed for 14 years. The checkpoint is located near the city of Kara-Suu in Kyrgyzstan’s Osh region, on the border with Uzbekistan’s Andijan region. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers, Bakyt
The U.S. Embassy in Tashkent welcomed 20 American English teachers this week to begin teaching and professional development programs throughout Uzbekistan, joining local teachers to provide direct classroom instruction to students. These teachers are just one part of the U.S. Government’s vast commitment to strengthening English language education in Uzbekistan, including training more than 18,000
The Government of Japan and UN Development Programme (UNDP) have agreed upon a new $4.9 million project, “Enhancing Urban Resilience to Disaster Risk and Climate Change in Central Asia”. The signing ceremony was held on September 11 in Astana, Kazakhstan. The project aims to enhance urban resilience to climate-driven risks in Central Asia by utilizing regional collaborative mechanisms and national transformational strategies, fostering sustainable
A Deputy Speaker of the Uzbek Parliament, Alisher Kadyrov proposes banning the “approval and propaganda of Soviet ideology”. In his opinion, the Soviet regime brought only misfortune to the Uzbek people, and also discriminated against them. Kadyrov commented on the verdict handed down by the Samarkand Regional Court in a case of propaganda for the
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned a parole-like sentence handed to an Uzbek woman in April over her sharing of a 1991 video showing the late President Islam Karimov speaking to Islamists, RFE/RL reported. The move on September 4 comes two weeks after the Tashkent regional court upheld Sevara Shaidullaeva’s 30-month parole-like sentence, which she
A court in the southeastern Uzbek city of Samarkand on September 3 handed a parole-like sentence to a local resident for his activities promoting the restoration of the Soviet Union, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. The 74-year-old man, whose identity was not disclosed, was found guilty of calling to disrupt the constitutional order in Uzbekistan. The
Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has pardoned hundreds of convicts to mark the country’s Independence Day, which was celebrated on September 1, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. State media reported that 159 prisoners were released outright, while 303 individuals were released on parole and the prison terms of 60 convicts were shortened. Among those affected were 19
A special issue of OCA Magazine dedicated to Jizzakh has been published in London. In the pages of OCA Magazine: Jizzakh, writers from Uzbekistan, the United Kingdom, the United States, France, India, Bulgaria, and Finland addressed issues of heritage, history, economy, culture, and cuisine of one of Uzbekistan’s most promising regions. Jizzakh has historically been
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is helping to decarbonise fertiliser production and power generation in Uzbekistan by financing a pilot renewable hydrogen facility. It will consist of a 20 MW electrolyser and a greenfield 52 MW wind power plant. The EBRD is offering a financial package of US$ 65 million (€ 58
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on August 27 launched a new country partnership strategy for Uzbekistan covering 2024–2028 that will support the country’s reforms to transform into a green and inclusive economy. Under the new 5-year strategy, ADB will work closely with the Government of Uzbekistan to facilitate the central Asian nation’s transition to a green economy,
The Uzbek Ministry of Transport on August 20 announced the first container cargo transportation along a new multimodal route from the Indian ports of Mundra, Nhava Sheva and Chennai to Uzbekistan. The cargo was delivered by sea from India to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, and then by rail to the Sergeli station in
Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev earlier this week attended the ceremony to launch the construction of wind power plants in the country’s northwestern region of Karakalpakstan. A wind power plant with a capacity of 1 gigawatts and worth $1.2 billion will be built by the Chinese company Sany Renewable in Karakalpakstan’s Kungrad district. Another wind plant
The United Nations, in collaboration with the Government of Karakalpakstan, announced the launch of two projects to tackle pressing environmental and health issues in the northwestern region of Uzbekistan. The projects, supported by the Multi-Partner Human Security Trust Fund for the Aral Sea Region include: the UNICEF project, “Enhancing Climate-Resilient and Safe Water, Sanitation, Hygiene,
Afghanistan and Uzbekistan signed 35 investment and trade agreements worth $2.5 billion during Uzbekistan Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov’s visit to Kabul on August 17, TOLOnews reported. According to the Economic Deputy of the Afghan Prime Minister’s Office, 12 agreements worth $1.4 billion were signed in the investment sector, and 23 agreements worth $1.1 billion were
