Economic growth in Uzbekistan is expected to decrease in 2024 due to the impact of higher prices on household disposable income, according to a new flagship report from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). In its Asian Development Outlook (ADO) April 2024, ADB projects gross domestic product (GDP) growth for Uzbekistan to be 5.5% in 2024, followed
The Uzbek Culture Ministry said on April 5 that the Artdocfest/Asia film festival was blocked because its organizers “did not obtain permission” to hold a public event and failed to comply with regulations, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. The international documentary film festival began on April 2 in the capital, Tashkent, but was suddenly stopped by
Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Uzbekistan Kongratbay Sharipov and Chairman of the Government of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China Erkin Tuniyaz have signed an agreement on granting scholarships to Uzbek citizens to study in higher educational institutions in the western Chinese region, the government portal of Uzbekistan reported. The two sides
Late in March, the Qoshkopir College of Water Resources and Melioration in Khorezm region in partnership with the UNESCO Office in Uzbekistan held the launching ceremony of the newly renovated college. The event marked a crucial advancement in the Skills Development for Employability in Rural Areas of Uzbekistan project, funded by the European Union, the Delegation of
The cover story of the latest issue of Open Central Asia Magazine, which is published for the Eurasian Creative Guild (London), features Gulchekhra-begim Makhmudova — one of the most important women in Uzbekistan and the CIS countries in the field of culture, beauty and perfume. She started in 1985 as a producer of the international
Uzbekistan has urged its citizens who work in Russia to comply with the stepped-up security measures that Moscow introduced following last week’s deadly attack at a concert hall near Moscow, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. Central Asian migrant workers in Russia have found themselves under enormous pressure and faced a backlash after Russian officials announced they had detained
A court in Uzbekistan has sentenced influential crime boss Salim Abduvaliev to six years in prison on charges of illegal possession and transportation of arms and explosives, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. The 73-year-old Abduvaliev, who is also known as Salimboi, was sentenced last week, according to Tashkent courts’ joint press service. Abduvaliev is believed to
China has been strengthening ties with Central Asian nations with the aim to secure access to the region’s energy resources — oil, natural gas, coal, uranium, and renewable energy sources. China needs these energy resources for accelerated economic development in its northwestern Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which borders Central Asian countries. This is one of
The Koraozak Technical School of Agroeconomics and the UNESCO Office in Uzbekistan on March 18 hosted the inauguration ceremony of the newly renovated college as part of the project Skills Development for Employability in Rural Areas of Uzbekistan, funded by the European Union, the Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan reported. The event was attended
The Governments of the United States, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan joined private sector representatives in the inaugural B5+1 Forum in Almaty, Kazakhstan, from March 13-15. Announced by President Biden during the inaugural C5+1 Summit in September 2023 and highlighted in the corresponding New York Declaration, the B5+1 is the private-sector-led counterpart
The Kizirik Technicum of Agriculture and the UNESCO Office in Uzbekistan on March 12 hosted the inauguration ceremony of the newly renovated college as part of the project Skills Development for Employability in Rural Areas of Uzbekistan, which is funded by the European Union, the Delegation of the European Union to Uzbekistan reported. The event was attended by the First Deputy Minister of
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the launch of the Business Support Project, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at fostering sustainable and inclusive economic growth in Uzbekistan. The launch event on March 5 marked the beginning of a five-year journey towards enhancing the competitiveness of small and medium enterprises across four key sectors: information
On March 6, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Union (EU) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), in cooperation with the Government of Uzbekistan, launched the “Roadmap for Sustainable Investment Policy Reforms (RSIPR)” Project funded by the EU and ADB. The project will provide a comprehensive assessment of the investment framework currently
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is providing fresh funds and creating new growth opportunities for women-owned and managed businesses in Uzbekistan by offering a loan of up to US$ 6 million (€ 5.5 million equivalent) to Uzbek Leasing International (Uzbek Leasing). The loan to Uzbek Leasing is extended under the EBRD’s Central Asian Women in
On March 5, the European Union (EU) and the UNDP held the handover ceremony of equipment to the Research Institute of Fisheries to support more sustainable fish farming practices in Uzbekistan. The provided equipment will help to reduce water consumption, improve water quality and energy efficiency in the fish farms, and, in turn, support the welfare of fish, the Delegation of the European Union
The World Bank on March 4 released its flagship annual report, Women, Business and the Law (the 2024 WBL), which assesses progress toward legal gender equality worldwide. The 2024 edition features an index that evaluates 190 countries, including Uzbekistan, against 10 indicators: Safety, Mobility, Workplace, Pay, Marriage, Parenthood, Childcare, Entrepreneurship, Assets, and Pension. The latest Women, Business, and the
In a significant move to bolster regional collaboration, representatives from Central Asian nations convened at a workshop in Almaty on March 1 to forge a roadmap and action plan for a proposed second phase of the World Bank-supported Central Asia Hydrometeorology Modernization Project (CAHMP II). This gathering underscored an advancement in regional cooperation and modernization efforts in
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Committee of Veterinary and Livestock Development of Uzbekistan have launched a new project, implemented by the FAO Emergency Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases, under USAID’s Global Health Security program. The goal of the
The Tashkent City Court sentenced 23 people — including an Indian national — to prisons terms of up to 20 years after a cough syrup imported into Uzbekistan from India killed 68 children in 2022, RFE/RL’s Uzbek Service reported. In reading out the court’s verdict on February 26, the judge said Indian national Ragvendra Pradar, who is
Karakalpak activist Aqylbek Muratov (aka Muratbai), who was arrested in Kazakhstan’s largest city, Almaty, at Uzbekistan’s request earlier in February has been given asylum seeker status in Kazakhstan, RFE/RL’s Kazakh Service reported. A relative of Muratov, Fariza Narbekova, told RFE/RL on February 26 that Kazakh officials had given him an asylum seeker’s certificate three days earlier. A