On November 28, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev launched the “Five Million Uzbek AI Prompters” project in Uzbekistan. According to the president, the digital economy’s share in the country’s gross domestic product has doubled. Nearly $2 billion in direct investment has been attracted in the field of artificial intelligence and digital technologies. In the past years the
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan are launching new air routes and developing joint tours along the Silk Road. Starting December 1, Kazakhstan’s SCAT Airlines will begin operating three new regular flights connecting the historical Kazakh city of Turkestan and the Uzbek cities of Bukhara, Urgench (Khiva), and Samarkand. Flights will operate three times a week. According to
On November 28, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev officially launched the Program for Eliminating Bureaucracy in Uzbekistan. “We are building the New Uzbekistan guided by a humanistic idea: Not the people should serve the government, but the government should serve our people,” emphasized the President. Uzbekistan has been paying priority attention to eliminating bureaucracy, excessive procedures and
On November 27, Tashkent hosted the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor (TCTC) and Connectivity Investors Forum with the participation of the European Union, South Caucasus and Central Asian countries, Türkiye, International Development Banks, the private sector and regional partners. The Forum demonstrated how the EU’s Global Gateway strategy is moving from vision to delivery, with new investments designed
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a synthetic local-currency facility of up to $40 million (€34.5 million) to Mortgage Refinancing Company of Uzbekistan (UzMRC), the only domestic mortgage refinancing institution. The loan will enable UzMRC to secure a continuous flow of medium-term local-currency funding, thereby supporting the development of a commercially
From 26 November to 24 December, a series of training sessions is taking place across all 14 regions of Uzbekistan, including the Republic of Karakalpakstan, aimed at strengthening the role of territorial anti-corruption councils. The program is organized by the Anti-Corruption Agency, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), funded by the European Union, and supported
The 3rd EU–Central Asia Economic Forum demonstrated the growing momentum of the partnership between the European Union and the countries of Central Asia. Coming after the recent first-ever EU–Central Asia Summit in Samarkand and the EU–Central Asia Ministerial meeting in Ashgabat, the Forum in Tashkent on November 26 became the next major milestone in a
On the sidelines of the 20th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP20), an event was held dedicated to the presentation of the Atlas of Environmental Changes of Uzbekistan. It brought together representatives of government agencies, international organizations, research institutes, and the
A side event titled “Saiga Antelope: New Challenges” was held in Samarkand, organized by the National Committee of Uzbekistan for Ecology and Climate Change together with the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan. The event took place within the framework of the 20th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade
A major new environmental initiative has been launched in response to increasing pressure on Central Asia’s water and land resources, the growing impacts of climate change, land degradation, and more frequent droughts. The Central Asian Water and Land Nexus (CAWLN) Program, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the National Committee of
Between 25 and 27 November, European Commissioners Jozef Síkela and Marta Kos will be in Uzbekistan to advance the development of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor aimed at linking Europe and Central Asia within 15 days. The Corridor is a flagship initiative of the EU’s Global Gateway investment strategy in the region to foster prosperity and stability in Central Asia,
Senior officials from across Central Asia gathered on November 23 in Samarkand for a high-level ministerial meeting on “Central Asia’s Commitment to Snow Leopard and Mountain Landscape Resilience: From Policy to Practice — Monitoring, Funding, and Action for Regulated Wildlife Trade.” The event took place ahead of the 20th meeting of the Conference of the
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is providing a loan of up to €10 million to MaxCopper, a newly created copper pipe manufacturer in Uzbekistan, to finance working capital needs for the establishment and ramping-up of production operations. The proceeds will also be used to purchase raw materials, such as copper
On November 22, a meeting of water and energy ministers of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan was held in Almaty. The ministers agreed on further water and energy cooperation. Given the low water level in the reservoir of Kyrgyzstan’s Toktogul hydropower plant (HPP), the meeting participants decided to support each other with mutual electricity supplies and
As part of the High-Level Dialogue on enhancing the strategic impact of the 20th Conference of the Parties to CITES, a signing ceremony was held for the Samarkand Declaration and the Regional Cooperation Action Plan for 2026–2032 to support the sustainable use of wildlife and plant resources and combat illegal trade in wild animals and
On 24 November, the official opening ceremony of the 20th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP20) took place in Samarkand. CITES CoP20 marks the first large-scale session of the Convention ever held in Central Asia. The forum has brought together more
In order to create convenience for tourists, organize their meaningful recreation and free walking in each region, the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan creates car-free zones across the country. Such zones have been created in the historical center of the city of Bukhara on the section from the cultural heritage site Toqi Telpakfro‘shon to the parking
In recent years, Uzbekistan has significantly expanded efforts to attract tourists from China — one of the world’s largest tourism markets. The year 2025 was declared the “Year of Uzbekistan Tourism in China.” Throughout the year, tourism roadshows were held in major Chinese cities and provinces, and Uzbekistan presented its national stand at major tourism
On November 18, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was briefed on the improvement of the system of external labor migration and organization of migration processes in line with international standards. Thanks to the systematic work carried out in Uzbekistan in recent years to ensure the organized employment of citizens abroad, the labor market is diversifying, with citizens
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Ambassador Jan Braathu, concluded his official visit to Uzbekistan on November 16. During the visit, he held a series of high-level meetings focused on the ongoing reform of the media regulatory framework, the impact of digital transformation on journalism, and the implementation of OSCE commitments. Representative
