One of the most memorable events of my Latin American journey was the meeting with Paraguay’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, in the capital city of Asunción. Ramírez Lezcano is one of the country’s most influential diplomats and has served as Paraguay’s Foreign Minister since 2023. This visit became my first official trip
Forty years after its establishment, the legendary Issyk-Kul International Forum is returning to Kyrgyzstan. The 40th-anniversary Issyk-Kul International Forum will take place from June 18 to 21 in Bishkek and on the shores of Lake Issyk-Kul. Founded in 1986 by legendary writer Chingiz Aitmatov, the forum has brought together outstanding scientists, writers, philosophers, public figures
The English-language edition of an anthology of poems and ballads, “God and Love,” by Kyrgyz poet and composer Atantai Akbarov was presented at the MEGA Fest 2026 international festival in London. The book was published and brought to an international audience by the British publisher Hertfordshire Press. “God and Love” introduces English-speaking audiences to one
British publisher and public figure Marat Akhmedjanov has been awarded a medal from the International Organization of Turkic Culture, TÜRKSOY, which unites the states of the Turkic world and is dedicated to preserving their shared historical and cultural heritage. The award was presented in recognition of Akhmedjanov’s long-standing contribution to the development of literature, culture,
The United States and Uzbekistan on June 3 marked the restoration of the Sherdor façade at Samarkand’s Registan Square. The project, which is being implemented between 2025 and 2028, is supported by a grant of $500,000 from the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) — the largest AFCP award ever granted in Uzbekistan, according
The first concert of Aseman band and the come-back of its establisher Arash Barez took place in Paris on June 5, introducing Afghanistan music to Europe. Aseman is a multicultural ensemble formed by distinguished artists from Afghanistan and Japan, who live in Paris, created to bring Afghan music (silenced in the only country where music
A traditional Kazakh chapan presented to British publisher and cultural entrepreneur Marat Akhmedjanov, founder of Hertfordshire Press and co-founder of the Eurasian Creative Guild (ECG), during commemorative events marking the 275th anniversary of the renowned spiritual leader Beket Ata in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region, has become an unexpected symbol of cultural diplomacy in the United Kingdom.
After many years of working with writers, artists, filmmakers, musicians, and creative professionals from across the world, I have noticed one thing: the most inspiring discoveries often come from the most unexpected places. Imagine this. A public servant from Kyrgyzstan. A member of the Jogorku Kenesh (Parliament) for two terms. An engineer by education, later
The MEGA Fest 2026 international cultural forum, a joint effort between the Open Eurasia Literary Festival & Book Forum and the ECG Eurasian Film Festival, concluded in London last week. The festival brought together writers, filmmakers, artists, poets, publishers, and public figures from dozens of countries, becoming one of the largest international platforms for promoting
In recent years, the international film industry has increasingly talked about diversity, cultural multiplicity, and the need for new voices. However, in reality, the global screen remains quite hierarchical: some countries are automatically considered “providers of great cinema,” while others are still relegated to the cultural periphery. When Western audiences hear about films from Central
When we watch a cult movie, we usually remember the actors, the director, or the studio behind it. But behind every great film stands an entire team of professionals without whom real cinema simply could not exist. A few years ago in Hollywood, I had the chance to meet exactly such people. In this photo
An international symposium, titled “The Golden Horde as a Model of Steppe Civilization: History, Archaeology, Culture, and Identity,” took place in Astana last week, bringing together leading Kazakh and international scholars and experts to comprehensively understand the historical legacy of the Golden Horde (the Ulus of Jochi) and its role in shaping civilizational processes in
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the 22nd meeting of the bilateral Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) on Ethnic Germans in the Republic of Kazakhstan on May 19 in Astana. As of today, there are 226,000 ethnic Germans in Kazakhstan and around one million German resettlers from Kazakhstan in Germany. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Arman
A capsule-laying ceremony for the Yasawi Research Institute was recently held at the Khoja Ahmed Yasawi International Kazakh-Turkish University in the Kazakh city of Turkistan. Turkistan is recognized as the spiritual capital of the Turkic World, playing a symbolic role in fostering common identity, cultural heritage and unity among Turkic nations. The city is home
Kazakhstani artist Asel Kadyrkhanova’s installation “Machine,” dedicated to the Red Terror and Stalinist repressions, was removed from the Kazakhstan pavilion at the 61st Venice Biennale. The Kazakhstan National Pavilion at the Venice Biennale opened on May 6. The Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information removed the installation from the exhibition one day before the opening.
Buenos Aires once again reminded me how important personal meetings remain today. Especially when the conversation is not only about diplomacy, but also about culture, books and human connections between continents. It was a great pleasure to meet with Yulia Ilyina, Chargé d’Affaires of the Republic of Belarus in Argentina, who is actively involved in
According to a study by the Scientific Research Institute of Family and Gender, in 2025, there were an average of 175 divorces per 1,000 families in Uzbekistan. Experts note that this figure is significantly lower than international standards, confirming the stability of family values in the country, Tashkent Today reported. Comparison with some post-Soviet countries
The 2026 Venice Biennale exposed an uncomfortable truth once again: Central Asia is increasingly becoming a beautiful exotic backdrop for the Western art world rather than an equal intellectual voice within it. Uzbekistan is now investing heavily in building its cultural brand. The pavilions are more polished, visually stronger, conceptually cleaner. The Aral Sea, memory,
An informal summit of the Council of Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) will be hosted by Kazakhstan on 15 May 2026 in Turkistan, the spiritual capital of the Turkic World, under the theme “Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development.” The summit will bring together the heads of state and government of
Uzbek cuisine in Latin America. Who would have thought it was even possible? Some would say, “Uzbeks are everywhere.” Others would shrug, “Who needs it there?” I’ve always been on the side of the first. But to my surprise, Uzbek cuisine had been almost absent across the entire American continent, home to nearly 700 million