President Sadyr Japarov on February 18 officially opened a cable car in the Ala-Archa State Nature Park, the first gondola cable lift in Kyrgyzstan. The Ala-Archa Nature Park is located about 30 km from Bishkek and stretches along the Ala-Archa River. The park is a popular weekend getaway for Bishkek residents and foreign tourists. The
Since the beginning of 2026, solar and wind power plants in Uzbekistan have generated 1 billion kWh of electricity. According to the Ministry of Energy, this milestone was reached by February 13, a 40% (400 million kWh) increase over the same period last year, Tashkent Today reported. Uzbekistan now has 15 solar power plants with
UTK International Logistics Co. Ltd., a joint venture established in China with the participation of Uzbekistan’s Uztemiryulkonteyner JSC, has launched the first pilot container train from China to Tajikistan. This project is a practical step toward implementation of agreements aimed at deepening regional cooperation, reached by presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan in Dushanbe in
The National Statistical Committee of Kyrgyzstan has published figures of the country’s foreign trade in 2025, which amounted to $15.8 billion, a 10.2% decrease compared to 2024. Kyrgyzstan’s exports fell significantly by 44.5%, while imports increased by 3.9%. In 2025, Kyrgyzstan exported its products to Russia (22.9% of all exports), Kazakhstan (15.9%), Switzerland (15.4%), Uzbekistan
A working visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Washington D.C. on February 18 began with a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. They discussed bilateral trade and economic cooperation, noting that the United States is one of Uzbekistan’s key partners. Bilateral trade has exceeded $1 billion, and around 340 American
Uzbekistan showcased its extensive potential in pilgrimage tourism at the international exhibition “Muslim Travel Show” in London, which brought together leading representatives of the global pilgrimage tourism industry, Dunyo information agency reported. Uzbekistan highlighted the country’s rich spiritual and cultural heritage, its unique historical landmarks, and its modern infrastructure designed to accommodate international visitors. During a
On February 17, the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received the United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy to Central Asia and Azerbaijan Lord John Alderdice, who arrived in Uzbekistan on a working visit. The parties discussed further expansion of the Uzbek–British partnership, primarily in the trade and economic sphere, emphasizing the dynamic development of political dialogue and
Motor transport plays a significant role in Kazakhstan’s cargo transportation, including for export and transit. It accounts for about a third of all freight traffic and is only second to rail transport. The fastest growing freight traffic by automobile transport is through Kazakhstan’s border with China. A total of 639,600 vehicles crossed the border with
The Constitutional Court of the Kyrgyz Republic has ruled that the next presidential elections in the country should take place on January 24, 2027. According to the Constitutional Court, the mandate of President Sadyr Japarov, who was elected in January 2021 under the 2010 Constitution, should be completed within the originally established six-year term. The
As part of the implementation of the President of Kazakhstan’s instruction to increase the country’s transit potential and bring annual transit cargo volumes to 55 million tons, the Minister of Transport of Kazakhstan on February 16 met with the Minister of Transport of Uzbekistan to discuss expanding cooperation in rail transport, according to the Kazakh
At the 7th Hotel Business Forum 2026 in Tashkent, the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan announced its forecast for the current year: the country intends to receive 12 million foreign tourists. Extensive infrastructure preparations have been undertaken to accommodate this number of visitors, Tashkent Today reports. To date, 1,023 new accommodation facilities, including hotels, hostels, and
According to the National Statistics Committee, a total of 28,954 citizens of Uzbekistan went for studies abroad in 2025. Compared to 2024, the number of Uzbek students abroad decreased by almost 6,900, or 19.3%. The top 10 most popular countries for Uzbek students in 2025 were Russia – 6,498, Tajikistan – 6,039, Kyrgyzstan – 4,648,
Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov last week signed a decree establishing National Organic Agriculture Day, to be celebrated annually on the last Friday of September. The move reflects Kyrgyzstan’s aspiration to strengthen its position as a leading producer of organic agricultural products in the region. According to the Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture, and Processing Industry,
The well-being of Kazakhstan citizens is declining. This is confirmed not only by the 2% decline in real incomes of working citizens in the fourth quarter of 2025, but also by the growing share of money spent on food, Finprom.kz reported. According to the Bureau of National Statistics, in the third quarter of 2025, Kazakhstan’s
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it is supporting the modernisation of public transport in Kyrgyzstan through the introduction of 95 new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses in Bishkek, improving comfort, accessibility and environmental performance across the city. This is the second phase of the Bank’s bus acquisition project in Bishkek, which
An official opening ceremony was held on February 14 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to inaugurate an Uzbek supermarket, Dunyo information agency reported. The Uzbek diaspora in Philadelphia has officially inaugurated the Asr supermarket, a project spearheaded by community representatives in the city. The event brought together members of the Uzbek community, alongside representatives from Turkish, Palestinian,
In 2025, Uzbekistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 7.7 percent and exceeded 147 billion dollars. More than half of the economic growth was accounted for by the services sector. In agriculture, the average income per hectare increased from 4,500 to 5,000 dollars, while labor productivity grew by 4.7 percent. This was announced at a
Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov says that by his decision to dismiss Kamchybek Tashiev from the posts of a Deputy Prime Minister and the Chairman of the State Committee for National Security, he saved his friend and prevented a split in the country. On February 10, Japarov unexpectedly dismissed Tashiev—his political partner and close friend—from both
According to the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB), mutual accumulated investment between Central Asian countries is rapidly growing. In 2024-2025, it increased by approximately $400 million (+42%), reaching $1.3 billion. Compared to 2020, the volume of mutual foreign direct investment (FDI) has almost quadrupled, reflecting sustainable investment ties within the region. According to the EDB’s report
Uzbekistan has worsened its position in Transparency International’s 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), ranking 124th out of 182 countries. Over the past year, the country has lost three positions, falling from the 121st place in the index, UzNews.uz reported. Among CIS countries, Uzbekistan’s ranking is better than that of Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan,
