Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov on February 24 held meetings with senior officials from Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Ministry of Petroleum Resources. These discussions as part of the official visit of the Kazakh delegation were aimed to enhance economic and political cooperation between the
In an interview with the Kabar information agency, Kyrgyzstan President Sadyr Japarov said that the country’s external debt is “not a problem.” According to Japarov, Kyrgyzstan’s external debt now stands at $4.5 billion. “We are not afraid of the external debt now. Before 2020, we had reasons to worry. In 2020, Kyrgyzstan’s state budget was
The Council of the European Union (EU) has appointed Mr Eduards Stiprais as the new EU Special Representative for Central Asia. Stiprais will take up his duties on 1 March 2025 with an initial mandate of two years, succeeding Terhi Hakala. According to the European Council, the task of the new Special Representative will be to promote relations between
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $125 million loan to support the Government of Uzbekistan in modernizing water management, improving water security, and increasing access to safe and reliable water in the country. The Climate-Smart Water Management Improvement Project will improve asset management and sustainability of service delivery, while strengthening the institutional capacity of the
On February 24, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov and Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliyev held talks in Astana. Kasymaliyev is on his first official visit abroad since the appointment as the head of the Kyrgyz Cabinet of Ministers in December, which testifies to Kazakhstan’s importance for Kyrgyzstan. According to
On February 24, the UK announced new sanctions targeting those who continue to aid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions target Russia’s military machine and entities in third countries who support it. In particular, the UK has imposed sanctions on the Kyrgyzstan-based OJSC Keremet Bank for its alleged role in supporting Russia’s war machine. On
In 2024, 98.9% of all Kazakhstanis had access to centralized water supply services. Of them, 99.4% of urban and 97.8% of rural residents are provided with quality drinking water supply, according to the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation. In 2020, 93.8% of Kazakhstanis had access to drinking water supply, in 2021 – 95.6%, in
A high-ranking delegation of Afghanistan, led by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy prime minister for economic affairs, visited Uzbekistan late last week, TOLOnews reported. Mullah Baradar described the visit as productive, stating that during negotiations with Uzbek officials, agreements were reached on expanding trade, importing electricity, exporting Afghanistan’s agricultural products, developing transportation, and constructing a
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced the launch of a new initiative aimed at strengthening the handicraft value chain in Kyrgyzstan as part of the Aid for Trade project. This project is designed to enhance the production and export potential of Kyrgyzstan’s traditional felt and leather products (handicrafts), which have growing demand in both foreign markets
On February 19, in Amman, Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held talks with King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein of Jordan. Tokayev said that the purpose of his visit was to give additional momentum to bilateral relations, friendship, and trade and economic ties. “I believe that we share common views and assessments of the processes taking place
At a government meeting on February 19, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev listened to proposals for improving energy efficiency in Uzbekistan. In Uzbekistan, energy capacities are consistently increasing in line with the growing needs of the population and the economy. Last year, 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas and 81 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity were produced. According
A public-private partnership agreement on the “Trans-Eurasian Route” railway project was signed in Bishkek on February 19 between the National Investment Agency under the President of the Kyrgyz Republic, Kyrgyzstan’s national railway company Kyrgyz Temir Zholu, and US-based consortium All American Rail Group Global Infrastructure Partner LLC, the National Investment Agency announced. The project will
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan on February 18 hosted a briefing for representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in the country and the media to highlight the advantages of newly introduced visa categories: Neo Nomad Visa, Digital Nomad Visa, and Residence Visa. Deputy Foreign Minister Roman Vassilenko emphasized that the introduction of these
Archaeologists have found the remains of two medieval cities in the mountains of eastern Uzbekistan, a discovery that could shift our understanding of the ancient Silk Road, as this trade route between the East and West was long believed to have linked lowland cities, BBC News reported in October 2024. But using remote sensing technology,
Turkmenistan’s Ambassador to Belgium Sapar Palvanov held a meeting with Euronews Chairman of the Board of Directors Pedro Vargas David. The parties discussed promising areas of cooperation, including the promotion of tourism and cultural exchange, coverage of significant events in Turkmenistan, and the possibility of including the country in existing Euronews programs, Turkmenportal reported. During
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan on February 18 hosted the signing of an agreement for the implementation of an investment project for the production and deep processing of non-ferrous metals in Kazakhstan with China’s East Hope Group, a leading global manufacturer of non-ferrous metals, semiconductor technologies, and industrial innovations. The signing ceremony was
The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Government of Uzbekistan have signed two agreements to enhance the country’s education and road infrastructure sectors. The signing took place on the sidelines of the Al-Ula Conference for Emerging Market Economies between IsDB Group Chairman, Dr. Muhammad Al Jasser, and Uzbekistan’s Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Economy
The Council of the European Union (EU) has announced that the President of the European Council, António Costa, along with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, will be travelling to Uzbekistan for the first-ever EU-Central Asia summit on 3-4 April 2025, with the participation of the presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,
Kazakhstan’s national atomic company, Kazatomprom, has announced the signing of the first-ever contract with Switzerland-based Axpo Power AG, alongside Kernkraftwerk Leibstadt AG (KKL AG), for the supply of Kazakh natural uranium concentrates for the energy needs of Switzerland’s Beznau and Leibstadt nuclear power plants. Vladislav Baiguzhin, Chief Commercial Officer of Kazatomprom commented that the expansion
On February 17, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Emir of the State of Kuwait Sheikh Meshal Al-Sabah held negotiations in the city of Al Kuwait. The leaders adopted a joint statement on the development of Uzbek-Kuwaiti relations of comprehensive partnership. The talks focused on developing and strengthening Uzbek-Kuwaiti relations of friendship and multifaceted partnership
