On July 17, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed projects aimed at developing Uzbek culture and arts, and promoting them on the international stage. In particular, the exhibition “Uzbekistan: Heritage in Motion” is planned to be held at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha in September 2026, while the international archaeological exhibition “Global Antiquity,” featuring unique
As part of his state visit to Georgia, the President of Turkmenistan Serdar Berdimuhamedov held talks with Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze in Tbilisi on July 17. On the previous day, Berdimuhamedov participated in the Turkmen-Georgian Business Forum intended to facilitate the expansion of bilateral trade and economic ties. During the talks, the leaders emphasized
The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) and Integrity Logistics Ltd. have signed a Memorandum of Intent and Cooperation to prepare and implement an investment project for the construction of a Class “A” transport and logistics complex in the city of Alatau, Almaty Region, Kazakhstan. The project envisages the construction of a Class “A” transport and logistics
The European Union and the five countries of Central Asia — Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan — on July 16 held the 13th meeting of their annual High-Level Political and Security Dialogue in Brussels. The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Secretary-General for Political Affairs at the European External Action Service, Olof Skoog, with participation
Is this the Asian century in higher education? On the numbers alone, it may well be. More than half of the world’s university students are already in Asia, and that share is set to grow as ageing industrialised democracies give way demographically to younger populations in countries such as India, Indonesia, and across Central Asia.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met on July 16 in Shanghai, where Tokayev arrived to attend the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference and High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance. During the meeting, Xi said that the China-Kazakhstan permanent comprehensive strategic partnership has maintained strong momentum, demonstrating enormous potential for cooperation and
On July 16, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov held a meeting with representatives of the Austrian dairy cooperative Berglandmilch and the Greek company Desserta Hellas. The parties discussed prospects for establishing dairy production in Kazakhstan. The project is being developed within the framework of the Kazakhstan-Greece bilateral investment agenda. Various implementation models are
As part of a working visit to Kyrgyzstan, Chairman of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Akkulov held meetings with the management of Kyrgyzstan’s Asman Airlines and Aero Nomad Airlines. The parties explored opportunities to expand air connectivity between Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, develop joint tourism products, and increase the flow of tourists between the two countries,
Freight traffic between Kazakhstan and China reached 18.7 million tons in the first half of 2026, an increase of 9% compared to the same period last year, according to the Kazakh Ministry of Transport. Growth was observed in both directions. Seven million tons of freight were transported from China to Kazakhstan in the first six
On July 15, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev listened to reports on the implementation of agreements reached during his visit to Belarus to expand cooperation between regions of both countries. During Mirziyoyev’s official visit to Belarus on July 8-9, agreements were reached to increase mutual trade to $2 billion, as well as to implement 310 joint projects
Chairman of the Tourism Committee of Uzbekistan Abdulaziz Akkulov held a meeting with Eduard Kubatov, Director of the State Agency for Tourism Development of Kyrgyzstan to discuss further strengthening of bilateral cooperation in tourism, increasing mutual tourist flows, developing new joint tourism products and cross-border travel routes, and creating additional economic opportunities for the regions
A delegation of Turkmenistan is participating in the events of the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York under the auspices of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), dedicated to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, according to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry.
On July 14, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev received an Italian delegation led by Eugenio Giani, Governor of the Tuscany region, who is in Uzbekistan on a working visit. The parties discussed the further development of the Uzbek-Italian strategic partnership, primarily in the trade, economic, investment, and cultural-humanitarian spheres. Particular attention was paid to expanding
The Central Bank of Uzbekistan published a financial stability review for 2025, which shows an increase in household debt: more than half of citizens who took out loans during the year have two or more outstanding debts, Tashkent Today reported. The share of borrowers with multiple loans to banks and microfinance organizations (MFOs) increased from
Negotiations were held in Beijing between the Civil Aviation Committee of the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) on expanding cooperation in civil aviation. The parties agreed to increase the number of regular passenger flights for air carriers of both countries from 124 to 152 per week. The
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Civil Defence and Rescue Operations Directorate under the Ministry of Defence of Turkmenistan, has launched the national component of the regional project Strengthening the System for Region-wide Disaster Risk Reduction in Central Asia. Funded by the Government of Japan, the initiative is being implemented across all
The Jizzakh Open Air–2026 International Tourism Festival was held on June 27–28 on the shores of Lake Aydarkul, one of the most picturesque natural attractions in the Jizzakh Region of Uzbekistan, according to the country’s Tourism Committee. The prestigious event was jointly organized by the Jizzakh Regional Administration, the Tourism Committee, the Ministry of Culture,
On July 13, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev officially launched a new casting and rolling complex at the Uzbek Metallurgical Plant in the city of Bekabad. The new casting and rolling complex will go down in history as Uzbekistan’s first facility for the production of hot-rolled steel sheets. Once fully operational, the complex will produce 1 million
The KTZE – Khorgos Gateway dry port at the Kazakh-Chinese border has expanded its cargo handling capacity following the commissioning of nine 1520 mm gauge sorting tracks and an uncoupling repair facility. The new infrastructure, launched in September 2025, raised the terminal’s transshipment capacity from 540,000 to 800,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per year, marking
Central Asia has a complex risk profile, and earthquakes are among the most prominent hazards. Tajikistan is no exception, with the 1949 Khait and the 1989 Gissar earthquakes illustrating the country’s high seismic exposure, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Tajikistan. On July 13, UNDP and the Executive Body of State Authority of