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
As a result of the official visit of Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Japan and the Central Asia–Japan Business Forum on December 20, more than 60 documents were signed between Kazakh and Japanese business entities, totaling $3.72 billion, according to Kazakh Invest. Baiterek National Managing Holding JSC and Japan’s MUFG Bank, Ltd. signed a memorandum
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,
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi held negotiations in Tokyo on December 20. Following the talks, the President of Uzbekistan and the Prime Minister of Japan signed a Joint Statement on an expanded strategic partnership for future generations. They emphasized that this document will elevate interaction to a
Hertfordshire Press, the UK’s leading publisher dedicated to translated literature from the post-Soviet space, announces the release of Imprisoned Souls: Poems of Uyghur Prisoners in China, a powerful new anthology translated and compiled by acclaimed Uyghur poet, scholar, and human rights advocate Aziz Isa Elkun. At a moment when Uyghur cultural expression faces systematic erasure,
As part of his official visit to Japan, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev on December 19 held a meeting with the heads of leading Japanese companies, financial institutions, and business associations. The event was attended by Japan’s Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ryosei Akazawa, as well as top managers of Sojitz, Sumitomo, Toyota, ITOCHU,
An event dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the prominent Uzbek art collector Igor Savitsky took place in London on December 16. Organized by the British publishing house Hertfordshire Press, which has specialized in translating and publishing works of classic and contemporary authors from Central Asia for nearly 20 years, the event was attended by
A national workshop in Tashkent on 18-19 December brought together teachers, education specialists, national and international experts to finalize and approve practical recommendations on how to include climate change topics in the 7–11 grade curricula for biology, geography, physics, chemistry, and mathematics, UNDP in Uzbekistan reported. The event was organized by the United Nations Development
The Kazakhstan Agency of International Development (KazAID) is celebrating its fifth anniversary. The Agency was established by a Resolution of the Government of Kazakhstan dated December 15, 2020, as the national operator in the field of official development assistance and operates under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan. KazAID’s mission is to promote sustainable
On December 16, London hosted an event commemorating the great Kyrgyz writer Chingiz Aitmatov. Organized by the British publishing house Hertfordshire Press, which has specialized in translating and publishing works of classic and contemporary authors from Central Asia for nearly twenty years, the event was attended by over 80 guests from England, Kyrgyzstan, Scotland, Australia,
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $3 million grant to strengthen Tajikistan’s capacity for glacier monitoring and hazard forecasting. The grant comes from the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR) financed by the Government of Japan through ADB. “Glaciers and snow are vital for water supply, agriculture, and hydropower, yet rapid melting
According to the latest analytical data published by the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism) in its World Tourism Barometer report, Uzbekistan ranked among the World’s Top 7 countries in terms of the fastest growth in inbound foreign tourism for January–September 2025. The number of international tourists visiting the country increased by 73 percent compared to
The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved a $100 million loan and a $5 million grant for Uzbekistan to implement the Access to Finance for Jobs and Growth Project (FINGROW). It will expand access to credit and private equity financing for capital-constrained micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). In Uzbekistan, MSMEs account for over
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has signed a memorandum of cooperation with a consortium of Chinese companies Yellow River Engineering Consulting Co. Ltd., Leture Technology and Cheng Cheng Group for the construction of a plant to produce smart technologies for water resource management and irrigation systems in the southern Kazakh city of Taraz.
On December 16 in London, the British publishing house Hertfordshire Press organized an international event dedicated to Kazakhstan’s Independence Day and the 180th anniversary of Abai Qunanbaiuly’s birth. More than 80 guests from around the world, from the UK to Australia, participated, expressing their support for Kazakh culture. Hertfordshire Press, which has specialized in translating
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has released a new report as part of its flagship project Monitoring of Mutual Investments. New data show that investment activity in the Eurasian region continues to expand despite the global decline in foreign direct investment (FDI). Mutual FDI between the region’s countries reached a record US $48.4 billion at the
On December 16, under the chairmanship of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, a meeting was held dedicated to the comprehensive socio-economic development of Tashkent, improving the urban environment, and creating decent living conditions for its population. It was noted that Tashkent has undergone significant changes in recent years. Over the past nine years, more than $20 billion
Kazakhstan has opened two modernized motor vehicle checkpoints—Kazygurt on the border with Uzbekistan and Temir-baba on the border with Turkmenistan—in an effort to boost trade and cargo transportation in the region, primeminister.kz reported. The checkpoints were reconstructed as part of the state program to modernize border infrastructure. The program covers nine checkpoints located on Kazakhstan’s
The “Kazakhstan-China” microsatellite, jointly developed by Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) and China’s Northwestern Polytechnical University, successfully entered orbit at an altitude of 530 km on December 13, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education. This scientific research satellite was launched into orbit by Ziwei Aerospace, using Kuaizhou-11 launch vehicle. In 2024, KazNU
