For more than twenty-five years, I have worked to build cultural bridges between Uzbekistan and the wider world. As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, a translator of Uzbek literature, and the founder of Suhbat LLC, I have dedicated a significant portion of my life to introducing Uzbek voices to English-speaking audiences. In 2019, that work
For the first time ever, pomegranates, quinces, and persimmons from Uzbekistan have been exported to the United Kingdom as part of the latest shipment of Uzbek agricultural products, official information agency Dunyo reported. A total of three tons of produce was delivered via Uzbekistan Airways on the Tashkent-London route late in December. The exporter responsible
In his New Year’s greetings to the people of Uzbekistan, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev declared 2026 the “Year of Development of the Mahalla and Society.” In Uzbekistan, mahalla means a neighborhood or local community and is a key part of civil society. Mirziyoyev stated that in the new year, “we will improve the infrastructure of thousands
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has released a new report, entitled “China and the Eurasian Region: Analysis of Investment Flows based on EDB Monitoring of Mutual Investments”. The report provides detailed information on mutual foreign direct investments (FDI) between China and 13 countries of the Eurasian region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Mongolia,
On December 30, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev inspected energy facilities under construction on the territory of New Tashkent, which is currently under construction. The modern trigeneration technology allows to simultaneously ensure the city with the heating and cooling, spending twice less energy than traditional sources. Production processes in traditional heating plants or cooling systems are
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, the Karakalpak Research Institute of Agriculture, and the Rice and Grain Association, convened an international roundtable on “Combating Soil Degradation in the Aral Sea Region and Adaptive Agriculture.” The event brought together leading agricultural experts from Uzbekistan and Russia, representing
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is helping micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Uzbekistan to improve their access to green finance and promote green innovation by providing fresh funds under its Uzbekistan Green Economy Financing Facility II (GEFF II Uzbekistan). An EBRD loan of up to US$30 million (€25.7 million) under
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has presented its Macroeconomic Outlook for the Bank’s member states for 2026–2028. EDB analysts expect aggregate GDP growth across the seven member states to reach 2.3% in 2026, with most countries maintaining high levels of economic activity. In 2026, GDP growth is projected at 5.3% in Armenia, 1.8% in Belarus,
In his Address to the parliament and people of Uzbekistan on December 26, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev identified ensuring environmental balance, advancing green energy, and promoting the sustainable and rational use of water resources as a strategic priority for the nation. Reducing harmful emissions According to the President, in order to mitigate the environmental impact of
On December 26, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev addressed the Uzbek parliament and the people of Uzbekistan. According to the President, significant achievements have been made in all spheres in 2025. For the first time in the country’s history, gross domestic product exceeded $145 billion, exports increased by 23 percent, reaching $33.4 billion, and the gold reserves exceeded
The President of Uzbekistan has identified the doubling of the number of 4- and 5-star hotels by 2030 as one of the key objectives for the development of the tourism industry. As part of the implementation of this strategic goal, special attention is being paid to the development of modern hotel infrastructure in the regions.
A special issue of the Visit Uzbekistan magazine has been published in China in the Chinese language. The magazine was prepared by the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan in cooperation with the Uzbek Embassy in Beijing. The purpose of this publication is to widely promote Uzbekistan’s tourism potential in China, introduce its rich cultural heritage and
The total forest area in Uzbekistan has now reached 4.7 million hectares. This is a result of the implementation of the “Uzbekistan–2030” Strategy, which, among other, includes measures to expand the area under forests and restore degraded lands across the country, according to the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change. The expansion of forests
Aziz Abdukhakimov, Adviser to the President of Uzbekistan on environmental issues and Chairman of the National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change, held a series of meetings reviewing the implementation of projects for the incineration of municipal solid waste for electricity generation. According to the National Committee, the discussions were held with representatives of Chinese
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Government of Japan have launched a regional project, “Strengthening the System for Region-Wide Disaster Risk Reduction in Central Asia.” The new project, within the framework of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue, aims to enhance disaster resilience at both national and regional levels over two years, focusing
An official closing ceremony for the events held within the framework of the “Tourism Year of Uzbekistan in China” took place in Beijing. The event was organized by the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan. The ceremony was attended by official representatives of the tourism authorities of both countries, tourism industry professionals, and media. Speakers at the
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
On December 20 in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi welcomed the Presidents of the five Central Asian countries as she hosted the first Summit of the “Central Asia plus Japan” Dialogue (CA+JAD) at the leader’s level. Prime Minister Takaichi highlighted the importance and potential of the Central Asian region, including its geopolitical significance as
At the first summit of the “Central Asia + Japan” Dialogue in Tokyo on December 20, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev presented his vision for the development of cooperation in the “Central Asia + Japan” format. The event, chaired by Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi, was also attended by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev,
