The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $300 million policy-based loan—$100 million of which is concessional—to support the Government of Uzbekistan’s ongoing efforts to expand access to finance for underserved micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), particularly those led by women, while strengthening the country’s microfinance sector. Subprogram 2 will expand and deepen the
Iran is seeking to accelerate efforts to sign a preferential trade agreement (PTA) with Uzbekistan amid hopes that the arrangement could lead to a substantial increase in trade with the Central Asian country, Iran’s Press TV reported. Iran’s trade minister Mohammad Atabak was in the Uzbek capital, Tashkent, on November 10 to hold talks on new
The Minister of Digital Technologies of Uzbekistan, Sherzod Shermatov, announced plans to work with NVIDIA to advance the nation’s infrastructure for NVIDIA, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies. Uzbekistan plans to work with NVIDIA to support several AI development strategies: Knowledge and experience exchange NVIDIA will share international best practices on AI governance, ecosystem development, and
As part of his working visit to the United States, Uzbek Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov held a meeting with the leadership of Coursera, one of the world’s largest online education platforms. The discussions focused on expanding cooperation in IT education, developing a certification system aligned with international standards, and broadening access to global
Based on international studies, researchers have concluded that Samarkand’s history spans at least 3,000 years. The previously recognized age of the city—2,750 years—has been revised, and the official age of Samarkand has now been recognized as 3,000 years. This was announced at the international conference titled “Samarkand: A 3000-Year Legacy” held as part of the
A policy dialogue held last week marked a key milestone in Uzbekistan’s efforts to implement Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, advancing the country’s participation in international carbon markets and access to global climate finance. Organized by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Institute for Macroeconomic and Regional
On November 6, a summit of leaders of Central Asia and the United States in the “C5+1” format was held at the White House in Washington, D.C. The event, chaired by the President of the United States Donald Trump, was attended by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, President of Tajikistan
On November 6 in Washington, D.C., President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting with representatives of leading American companies, investment funds, and financial institutions. The event was attended by US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Special Assistant to the U.S. President Ricky Gill, Special Envoy to the President Paolo Zampolli, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture
A C5+1 business conference was held in Washington, D.C. on November 6, marking the 10th anniversary of the partnership between the Central Asian countries and the United States. The event brought together representatives of governments, national companies, and leading businesses from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and the United States. The main theme of the conference
Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan and Central Asia’s largest city, has been included in the list of “The Best Places to Go in Asia in 2026” by the international travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler. According to the magazine, “Tashkent has reinvented itself time and again—shaped first by Silk Road merchants, then by Arab dynasties and later Russian
For the first time in the history of Uzbekistan, a study was conducted on the complete reading and analysis of human genes, the Zamin.uz website reported. As a result of this scientific work, conducted by scientists of the Center for Advanced Technologies, dozens of new genetic changes in Uzbeks, previously unrecorded in the world, were
From 7 to 9 November in Tashkent and on 12 November in Termez, the 10th European Film Festival will take place—an event that brings Europe and Uzbekistan together through the language of cinema. This year, the festival marks the 10th anniversary of cultural dialogue between Europe and Uzbekistan, according to the Delegation of the European
On November 4, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the second World Summit for Social Development, held in Doha. The forum was attended by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as well as heads of state and government, representatives of international and regional organizations. In
Starting January 1, 2026, citizens of the United States of America will be able to enter Uzbekistan without a visa for a period of up to 30 days. This measure is established by Presidential Decree of November 3, 2025, aimed at further strengthening Uzbek–American relations and creating favorable conditions for the development of cooperation in
Czech manufacturer Škoda Group has announced plans to enter the Uzbek market through a joint venture. According to the company’s press service, Škoda Group continues its business activities focused on the Central Asian market and deepens its cooperation with Uzbekistan. Petr Novotný, CEO Škoda Group, participated in business negotiations led by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Brussels
In early November, Bishkek hosted a political dialogue titled “Women in Water and Energy,” bringing together female leaders and experts from five Central Asian countries. The event marked a continuation of the Green Central Asia program, which aims to strengthen regional cooperation on climate, environmental protection, and security. In a region facing mounting ecological challenges,
As part of the official visit of the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, to Uzbekistan, the Uzbekistan–Finland Business Forum was held in Tashkent. During the forum, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change of Uzbekistan and the Finnish company EPSE Oy on “Cooperation in Establishing the
The President of Finland Alexander Stubb paid an official visit to Uzbekistan on October 31. The President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Alexander Stubb discussed prospects for further strengthening the multifaceted Uzbek-Finnish partnership, primarily in the political, trade and economic, investment and humanitarian spheres. The dynamic development of political dialogue and exchanges at various levels,
A new shelter for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) was opened on October 31 in Fergana, marking a significant step in expanding protection and support services for women and girls in one of Uzbekistan’s most densely populated regions with high reported rates of GBV, UNDP Uzbekistan reported. The shelter was constructed by the United Nations
On October 30, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the opening ceremony of the 43rd session of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), held in the city of Samarkand. Mirziyoyev expressed deep gratitude to President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić, President of Slovakia Peter Pellegrini, UNESCO
